Here's a few topics to ponder, maybe even act on, or pass along...

• the earth receives more energy from the sun in one hour than is uses in one year. There are 8,760 hours in a year. Might be some potential here.
• a truly green home is not just eco lighting and lower energy bills - it's rainwater use, it's vegetation around the property (see below), it's materials that go into the home, it's efficient use of the sun....
• desiduous trees south of the property will block the sun's heat in the summer and let it in during the winter. Coniferous trees to the north will block the wind in the winter.
• even older homes can be marketed as green oriented - energy star appliances, dual-flo toilets, shower heads,  windows, doors, hi-eff furnace all factor in.
• energy efficient homes have a higher rate of homeowner satisfaction and comfort
• recent stats report 72% of buyers look for green or green potential homes; 63% are willing to pay more for an efficient home.
• V.O.C. stands for volitile organic compounds, 'indoor smog!' used in paints, carpeting, etc. That 'new' smell is toxic gas being emitted.
• when remodeling, consider fixing or rehabing rather than removing and replacing.
• greenwashing is a term used to describe products that claim some form of eco responsibility when it may represent only a very minor componant of the whole. Consumers need to get better at challenging these claims.
• want to save $750/yr? cfl lighting - $200, eliminate standby power - $200, trash the beer fridge - $120, get a programmable thermostat - $140, lower temp on hwt - $50, turn dry heat off on d/w - $40
• bagasse - is the fibre waste from sugarcane plants that can be used to create paper products. Sugarcane replenishes quickly and saves our trees. 
• Carbon Dioxide - I'm a stats guy so here are some stats on generated co2. Expressed in grams: - 500ml of tap water, .06; 500ml of bottled water, 215; locally brewed beer, 300. Hand drying by airblade, 3; by paper towel, 10. Washing hands in beer, still 300! Ah, perspective.....

The Power Pipe saves on water heating costs by transferring heat energy from the shower drain to a home's incoming fresh cold water before it enters the hot water heater. 90% of heat energy goes down the drain and this technology recovers half of that.

The Smart Toilet has an intigrated sink that allows users to wash their hands that will then be used to refill the tank. Hope there's no reverse on this very good idea!

Welcome to the the Green Living information and trivia page. It is the intention of this space, as time permits, to offer up topics of a "greenish" nature, non-preachy, just stuff that's out there. You may notice a slight home bias trend.  Your planet, your nest....

Now Did You Know that...

•  17% of all energy used in Canada goes toward running our homes
•  only 1%-2% of Canada's housing supply is built new each year
•  homes older than 25 years have the potential to save an average of 35% of used energy
• that keeping the fireplace damper closed when not in use saves $100 per year 
•  CFL (lighting) is treated to produce a warm colour that flatters the skin tone. Oh sweet vanity!
•  Energy Star lighting uses 75% less energy and lasts up to 10 times longer
•  if every Canadian home replaced their 5 most frequently used light bulbs with CFLs we save $800 million in energy costs
•  if 10,000 Canadians install programmable thermostats, we'll prevent  the CO2 created by the overall energy use of 450 Canadians
• 40% of the drinking water supplied to homes is flushed down the toilet
•  turning the tap off while brushing twice a day saves 5,500 litres of water per year
•  two minute shorter showers save ten litres of water
•  fully loaded dishwashers,with no pre-rinse, (1 per day), saves up to 70 litres per load or 25,000 litres per year, the average water drank by a person over their lifetime
•  we can decrease our dryer's energy usage by up to 30% just by cleaning the lint filter regularly That's $40!!
•  if 10,000 Canadians switch to 2X concentrated laundry detergent we'll recycle or toss 120,000 fewer plastic detergent bottles 
•  setting the thermostat up or down 1 Deg. C. summer and winter, saves $100 per year, or $1.8B for all of Canada
•  for every dime spent running a microwave it costs 48 cents to run an oven
•  produce from outside Canada travels up to 2 weeks
•  it takes 4 to 17 times less oil to produce local food
•  if 10,000 Canadians choose to eat a locally produced apple, we save enough energy to fill the tanks of 50 cars
•  if 10,000 Canadians take one fewer napkin at fast-food restaurants, in one year we save the total annual paper use of 25 face stuffers. Manage your face, people!
•  if all Canadians viewed and paid bills online, we could keep 1.8 million trees growing each year
•  e-waste accounts for 70% of overall toxic waste currently going to landfills
•  pre LCD/plasma TVs contain between 4 and 8 lbs. of lead
•  old cell phones contain cadmium, a carcinogen, and newer ones contain potentially explosive lithium
•  many laptops contain mercury, toxic, toxic, toxic
•  you can find out where to dispose of icky stuff simply by clicking earth911.org/act locally/province, enter your postal code (top left corner), and have at it!   
•  almost one half of all school waste comes from paper, paper, paper
•  every tonne, or 220,000 sheets of paper saves 17 trees
•  if 10,000 Canadians save just five documents on their computer instead of printing them out, we'll save six trees worth of paper
• recycling oily pizza boxes contaminates recycled paper efforts
• bamboo grows only in the Spring for one month, at the rate of one foot per day!
• disposable diapers are the third largest source of landfill waste 
•  aluminum and glass containers can be recycled infinitely with no loss of purity
•  aluminum cans are currently worth over $2000 a ton; they help fund the cost of recycling other items in your curbside programs 
•  Canadians go through 38 BILLION plastic bags a year and only 5% are recycled 
•  idling a car creates twice the emissions of a car in motion
• if 10,000 Canadians lighten their car's load by just 50 pounds, in a year we'll negate the annual CO2 of 100 cars.
•  Canadians use 700 million litres of fuel idling their vehicle  every year
•  driving warms up the car way faster than idling
•  well, ever see school buses idling in the school yard? Gotta be a better way
• cruise control saves up to 15% in fuel costs on flat roads 
•  one litre of improperly disposed of oil can contaminate one million litres of water 
• efficient homes are easier to clean and maintain
•  efficient homes are more durable and cost less to repair
•  efficient homes have a higher value and sell faster

Enrich Ottawa with ways YOU contribute to conservation, a lighter carbon footprint, or how many times you saved the planet, and the Green Guy will try to get it on this page. Be a Star! Observations from kids would be great too. Live lighter, live better....

With the proliferation of eco friendly building and renovation materials available, taking advantage of the benefits of a greener home has become mainstream.  To put it in perspective, consider these points:

• • Lower energy costs
  • Lower water costs
  • Fewer repairs
  • Increased property value
  • Faster sale
  • Positive public image, you're a star! 
  • Improved health
  • Enhanced comfort
  • Less demand on municipal services
  • Creates "community"
  • Supports local economy/reduce fuel
  • Less resources used
  • Less airborne toxins locally
  • Increased environmental awareness

The four most popular reasons homeowners give for going green are:  savings 90%, environmental 84%, health 82%, and resale value 73%.  Currently almost 50% of home renovations are completed with these reasons in mind.

If you are thinking of selling your home and would like assistance on quick and easy ways to 'greenify' and enhance your home's value and marketability, I will be happy to provide my expertise. As a member of the National Association of Green Agents and Brokers, and the owner of a super efficient home, I am comfortable saying that I 'talk the talk'. Go Green!!

WE  SELL  HOMES  FAST !