Publication date: 02/02/2008

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To go 'green' is to rethink a lifestyle

"Green" is news. For the foreseeable future, marketing and advertising types will be putting the word "green" into their headlines when they want to sell you something.

As smart consumers, we have to see through the claims and separate the hog from the hogwash. Let's look at what you have to do to really achieve a "green lifestyle." After you see what green really entails, it will be easier to determine whether the folks are offering something that can enhance your new lifestyle or are just there to take your green -- as in money.

First, why go green? For the last 100 years we have become an increasingly wasteful society. Going green really means going on a diet, buying wisely and probably enjoying life more. There are four reasons for doing this:

1. We have more people and proportionately less resources.

2. We have increased chemical sensitivities.

3. We want to live longer but have a finite amount of money.

4. We need to change from a wasteful to a cost- and health-conscious lifestyle.

I didn't mention global warming because no matter what you think about that subject, there are other very good reasons for going green -- so why argue to be controversial?

We do not want to reduce our standard of living but do want to make it less wasteful and more fruitful.

Remember: Going green is not something you rush out and buy. It is a lifestyle and philosophical change.

Everything you buy or do has "embodied energy." According to Austin Energy Green Building's "Sustainable Building Sourcebook" ( www.austinenergy.com), this includes "all the energy required to grow, harvest, extract, manufacture, refine, process, package, transport, install and dispose of " a particular product or building material.

Whenever you buy anything, do anything or go anywhere the embodied energy of that product or activity becomes part of your energy footprint. Americans use (and waste) more energy than anyone. Our cumulative energy footprint is so vast that it literally is weighing down the world.

At its simplest, going green means improving air quality and reducing your energy footprint.

Improving air quality requires manufacturers to produce, and you to buy, no and low VOC (volatile organic compound) and lower pollution-emitting products. Reducing your energy footprint requires you to reduce the total embodied energy of your lifestyle.

For instance, sitting, meditating, with the lights off is one of the most energy neutral things you can do. Energy use is minimal -- even oxygen use is decreased. Reading a book with just a reading light, or better still natural daylight, is also energy efficient.

Flying to Hawaii, turning the air conditioning down low and watching a big-screen TV are very ungreen activities. Jet aircraft are energy hogs and huge polluters. Turning the air conditioning down may make you feel good but still wastes energy. Watching TV on a big plasma or LCD TVs uses twice the energy as watching a conventional TV.

Good ways to reduce your energy footprint are to buy, build, travel and consume less. Organize and consolidate your possessions. Don't throw away unwanted but useable items, donate or sell them. Reuse and restore furniture, equipment, jewelry, books and clothing that you already own rather than buying. Bring your own bags to stores and buy unprocessed, used or restored materials. If you must buy new buy items with recycled materials, no or low VOC's, and Energy Star or green ratings.

Start to brag about downsizing rather than about the biggest, brightest, newest thing you just bought.

Are you bored yet? I never said going green was a bundle of laughs but you will wind up with cleaner air, you will cut down energy waste and you'll save a bundle.

Let's see, better health and more money; hey, maybe going green might actually be a good idea?

If you have a question, call the "Handyman Show" with Glenn Haege at (866) ASK GLENN noon-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The show can be heard locally on WJR-AM (760) and more than 160 radio stations nationwide. To suggest a question for Haege's Wednesday "Ask Glenn" column at detnews.com, write: Ask Glenn, Master Handyman Press, P.O. Box 1498, Royal Oak, MI 48068-1498, or e-mail askglenn@masterhandyman.com.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

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