Green advocates across the nation are always looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Usually this takes the form of recycling, reusing products instead of buying new ones, or getting an electric car.
Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest carbon producing areas in our lives is our homes, and they are one of the areas where everyday Americans can make the biggest differences. Here are just a few ways that homeowners can reduce their carbon footprint and save the planet.
Use LED Lighting
LED lights are much more energy efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. By switching your house over to all LED lights, you can not only save money on your monthly utility bill, but you can also save the planet in the process.
An added benefit to LED lights is that they are much brighter than other kinds of bulbs, which means you need less to brighten up the same area.
Utilize Natural Sunlight Whenever Possible
Another huge way people can lower their carbon emissions is to simply use natural sunlight. This means adding sunlights into your Lake Michigan waterfront home of just doing chores during the daytime instead of the night.
For example, say you have a bunch of thank you cards to send and sign. If you can do this while it is still light outside, you won’t be using any added electricity. These are the little changes that can make a big difference in the long run.
The sun is a natural, free lightsource, and we should be using it whenever possible.
Install Energy Efficient Windows
Window are probably the single biggest item where people can save money and reduce their carbon emissions. Windows provide us with natural sunlight that can allow us to save energy, but if you don’t have quality windows, you could be losing that much more energy through poor insulation.
If you have a modern lakefront home in Silver Lake, you most likely already have energy efficient windows, so this won’t be a concern for you. But, if your house is more than 20 years old, you will want to look into installing energy efficient windows.
Ask Your Realtor About Your Home’s Energy Star Rating
If you aren’t currently a homeowner, you are in a great position to avoid all of these problems but solving them from the outset. Ask your real estate professional to look at house with high energy efficiency ratings to keep your carbon footprint down from the beginning.
Most lakefront real estate agents like J Harpe Realty Michigan Lakeshore will be able to answer questions about the houses windows, insulation, water system, etc.
Plant Trees and a Nice Garden
Another easy way to cut down on carbon emissions is to have yourself a garden. This will not only beatify your yard, but it will also cancel out any carbon your do produce through your everyday life (no one can be completely carbon free).
Keeping trees alive and well is essential in the fight against growing carbon production and global warming.
These are obviously just a few of the many ways you can help us have a greener planet and a brighter future. None of them are overly expensive and anyone can do them.
