Yogi TImes Magazine: Are You Trampling the Earth? - A Path Toward Sustainability

By Jill Davis
Photography By Martin Hughes

How big is your footprint? That's to say, how big of an impact does your lifestyle and resource consumption have on our planet? Are you trampling Mother Earth or stepping lightly? The concept of ecological footprint suggests the measurement of how much productive land and water you need in order to support what you use and what you throw away. Nature cannot regenerate resources at the same pace that humans are currently consuming them. However, the great news is that if we take steps now, even small ones, we can improve our situation. We can foster a brighter future and walk along a path toward sustainability, one choice at a time.

Is the prospect of overhauling your entire lifestyle to help our planet too overwhelming? There are those who have implemented monumental lifestyle changes and have made finding ways to affect positive environmental change a personal mission. Some have gone to great lengths to renovate their homes, using only environmentally friendly products. Others have given up their cars and choose to walk, bicycle or use mass transit.

Luckily, for the rest of us who are not ready for such drastic changes, there are things we can do that will hardly create even a blip in our schedule, but will actually enhance our lives and make a big impact on the environment. As the abundance of home decorating shows on TV demonstrates, home decorating and remodeling are a great source of interest in America right now. A time of change is a great time to help the earth by making a conscious choice to use sustainable, eco-friendly products and design when remodeling and redecorating.

Take carpet for example. The EPA states that more than four million pounds of carpet are deposited into landfills every day. The carpet industry is now taking a closer look at this problem. Some manufacturers have recycling programs, and are taking measures to avoid permanent disposal of carpet. Others use materials and processes that take less from the environment, while delivering the same product performance. The Carpet and Rug Institute has put a label on carpets that emit low toxins and meet indoor air quality standards. Carpet that carries the Green Seal label means that it is a wise choice. The website greenseal.org/cgrs/Carpet_CGR.pdf lists carpets that are recommended by this organization. When purchasing carpet:

- Look for high recycled content.

- Consider carpet tiles. When a portion gets dirty or ruined, only one tile needs to be replaced.

- Try to find refurbished carpet which is now available from some manufacturers.

Painting a room is a fast and inexpensive way to make a change in your home, but it can have toxic results. Be sure to choose paint with minimal or no volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These are toxins that are easily inhaled. They can cause throat and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, nausea, damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system, as well as dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment. They release low levels of toxic emissions for years after application. Because of new environmental regulations, and consumer demand, new, safer paints have been developed. Most of the major paint manufacturers now have non-hazardous paint. These paints perform as well as the toxic types, and you will love the results. There is little to no odor, and you can occupy your new rooms immediately without having to worry about the fresh paint smell.

With the hot summer months coming up, now is a good time to think about more efficient ways to cool your home. Air conditioners alone use up to 1/6 of U.S. electricity, emit carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide into the air, and contribute to global warming.

There are many cooling techniques that don't require expensive equipment. They lower the temperature of your home, with less impact on the environment and your energy bill. Insulating, caulking and weatherstripping are essential to keeping your home cool in hot weather. Heat is absorbed through the roof and into the attic. Insulating the attic floor will keep some of this heat from entering the house. Insulation, rated at least R-30, is fairly inexpensive and easy to install. Be sure to buy environmentally safe insulation! Leaks in doors and windows can be caulked and weather stripped to keep warm air out. This is also inexpensive to implement and you will see the result on your energy bills.

Shading is another effective way to cool your home and reduce energy consumption.

Plant a tree! Trees and shrubs can be used to shade your home and reduce your energy bills, not to mention the obvious benefit of being beautiful! According to the US Department of Energy, three trees, properly placed around a house, can save between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually. Plant them on the south and west sides of your home for the most effective results. Shrubs can also keep the lower sections of walls from absorbing heat.

Shade your home with effective draperies and curtains. Choose light colored fabrics to reflect the sun's heat and keep it out of your house. There are also good choices available now in "block out" draperies that actually block out a high percentage of radiant heat. Solar shades can also be put on the outside of your windows. They block the sun from entering a room. These are a good choice for windows on the west side of the house that face the hot afternoon sun.

There are ways to reduce the heat from the interior of your home as well. Turn off incandescent lights and switch to fluorescents. Ninety percent of the energy from an incandescent bulb is emitted as heat and not light. Compact fluorescents give off much less heat, as well as using 75% less energy. There are also dozens of new fluorescent bulbs on the market that produce light that is almost indistinguishable from the light of incandescent bulbs. Long gone is the "green glow" of the fluorescent bulbs of the past.

Another way to save energy is to cook with your microwave. Turning on the oven on a hot summer day will heat things up quickly! A microwave generates almost no heat, and is also much more energy-efficient.

Take advantage of the sun and dry your clothes on a line. Dryers also heat up your house quickly and they use a substantial amount of electricity. If your clothes are stiff after being outside, put them in the dryer for a few minutes on 'fluff.'

-Yogi Times Issue #33

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