Sustainable Living
Welcome to your new home. Finding sustainable solutions in a new location can seem overwhelming. We’d like to help you navigate your green options.
Choose Renewable Energy sources
Whether you’re a homeowner or renter, powering your living space with energy from Renewable Sources may be easier than you think.
Renting a home
If you do not own your home, ask your landlord to go solar. Chances are pretty great that your landlord has not considered going solar. What landlords typically do not know is that they can improve the desirability of their property by installing solar. Not only will solar increase the property’s overall value, it can also provide an opportunity for increased cash flow by providing solar electricity for purchase by you, the tenants. If done properly, the tenants will receive electricity for less than they are currently paying – that is a win-win!
Owning a home
Homeowners should investigate their energy use and consider potential efficiency upgrades. Homeowners should be well aware of their total electricity usage and consider low-cost and easy-to-implement efficiency measures before choosing solar. There are also online tools that can help you easily find and compare solar installers. Be sure to take advantage of Local, State, and Federal tax credits and incentives.
Consume greener options
Support local sustainable small businesses and farms
Consumers who walk to local town centers reduce their use of cars and buses. Similarly, buying from small businesses that source local products can reduce the environmental impact that national chains impose in their transportation of goods.
Shopping at local businesses also helps to create a relationship-based economy whereby restaurants may work together to create demand for local ingredients, and consumers and small-business owners know each other.
Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle.
Learn how reducing, reusing, and recycling can help you, your community, and the environment by saving money, energy, and natural resources. Recycling programs are managed at the state and local level—find information on recycling in your community
Use sustainable transportation
Switch to an electric or hybrid vehicle
Switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle helps reduce fossil fuel emissions directly from your tailpipe as well as from the import of petroleum. Using more energy efficient vehicles like hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles is an important part of continuing this successful trend of minimizing imported petroleum.
Although energy costs for hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles are generally lower for similar conventional vehicles, purchase prices can be higher. Initial costs can be offset by fuel cost savings, a federal tax credit, and state and utility incentives. Some states and utilities also offer incentives.
Learn more about the incentives that make electric vehicles more affordable here
Public transportation
Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Over 90% of fuel used for transportation is still petroleum-based. Every vehicle on the road releases an average of one pound of CO2 per mile driven. Compared with driving alone, taking public transportation reduces CO2 emissions by 45%, decreasing pollutants in the atmosphere and improving air quality. It's estimated that public transportation in the U.S. saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. Wider use of public transportation can really make a difference for the environment and climate.
Calculate your Carbon Footprint, reduce and offset your emissions
Carbon offsets are pollution equivalents that can be purchased, thereby resulting in the reduction of carbon-dioxide pollution in the atmosphere. For example, if you purchase five tons of carbon offsets, your money is used to fund a project (renewable energy, energy-efficiency upgrade, etc.) that reduces carbon-dioxide production by five tons or removes five tons of carbon dioxide from the air. If you can’t choose a completely carbon-neutral (zero-emissions) lifestyle, you can purchase the carbon offset equivalent to balance your impact. Carbon offsetting is one of many market-driven economic actions you can take to address climate change.
You can offset emissions from every facet of your life. You can offset emissions from your drive to work or your flight on vacation. Nearly every action and item has an environmental footprint associated with it and carbon offsets are one way to mitigate their effect. You can start the carbon offset process by calculating your estimated emissions using online calculators like this one from the EPA.