Monday, September 24, 2007

Green gets easier

At the UN's world conference on climate change today, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon proclaimed, "“Inaction now will prove the costliest action of all in the long term.” (More details)

In honor of the international gathering to raise awareness of the global responsibility for our changing world, here's a review of some energy-conscious home innovations:

Integrate solar panel roofing tiles (Sharp Electronics)Evaluate your personal consumption impact from living. working and traveling with this tool that surveys your energy uses and patterns of carbon offsetting and use of renewable energy sources. If you're inspired, make some changes around the home (like compact fluorescent bulbs, Energy Star compliant appliances, or low flow showerheads and toilets.

Acquaint yourself with innovations that seek to improve the global standard of living. New designs from housing, to education, agriculture and health were exhibited recently in New York, and they are featured in this curated site.

Explore decreasing personal consumption. Start examining all those shopping impulses and the marketing machine that bombards us all daily a little more closely. If you can't avoiding getting something new, consider reuse avenues like Craigslist, eBay, or Freecycle, or recycle a favorite but aged possession into a new form (some examples: jeans purse, plastic bag yarn, fused plastic bags, pet blankets, reuse coffee grounds, CD flower pot, pastry bag, kiddie desks, storage boxes).

Educate yourself on the climate crisis and become more informed about how we all impact.

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