"Heaven is my throne,
And earth is my footstool:
What house will ye build me?
Saith the Lord:
Or what is the place of my rest?"
Acts 7:49
The reason I fundamentally had a hard time getting on board with green ideas and making changes around my household is that I could/can hardly stomach either historic or current day politics of the green movement. (Don't even bother leaving any caustic comments calling me an extreme right-winger, because 1. it's my blog and I don't publish meanie remarks, and 2. I consider it a compliment anyway.) I don't get why Going Green (i.e. preserving the environment and conserving our natural resources) still gets lumped in with issues like social justice, feminism, pacifism, socialism, and civil liberties. That's like physical fitness lumping together with issues like spousal abuse, poverty, gun control, racism, and censorship.
For me, it comes down to this. I desire to honor my Creator by being a good steward to His Creation. That's it.
OK, enough of ideological questioning. Bo-ring! It might not seem like it, but making your home more green is not as hard as it seems. You don't have to go very far out of your way to make a big impact. Plus, when you save energy you often SAVE MONEY! Now,
that speaks everybody's language!
Stumped about where to start? Here are Ten Steps to a Greener Haus:
1. Save money & energy. Change out your light bulbs.
2. Save more dough. Unplug any appliances with LED lights when they're not in use. Use a power bar instead of plugging them into the wall and just turn the whole thing off when you're done. Here's a super easy one: once cell phones are charged, unplug them!
3. Save money & buy fresh. Shop at the local farmers market.
4. Call your utility company and ask for an audit. Don't let the word "audit" scare you! We did it and are currently saving more than $250 every single month!
5. Turn off garden lights & garden fountains (or at least greatly reduce their functioning hours).
6. Don't be a drip! Turn off faucets completely, check all toilets for leaks.
7. Shop the Star. Look for the Energy star appliances that use up to 35% less energy. Oftentimes you get a tax credit for these products, too!
8. Wash full loads of dishes & laundry. Use the warm or cold cycle (instead of hot) and choose the quicker cycles. This can save a bundle on your bill and hundreds of gallons of water every week.
9. Keep the fridge at 37 and the freezer at 0.
10. And, last but not least, solar energy, baby! If you aren't ready or able to fork out the dough for photovoltaic solar panels (if you are - Call me!), try other solar products like solar garden fountains, garden lights, patio lights, attic fans, battery chargers. Just recharging gameboys and cell phones batteries with solar chargers alone saves a bundle!
What are some of your ideas?
Lord Jesus, thank You for this beautiful earth that You've entrusted to Your children. Thank You for the mountains and valleys, oceans and deserts, trees, grass, and flowers, and for every living creature that You have put upon it. Thank You for displaying Yourself so wondrously in every part of Your Creation. Open our hearts and minds to appreciate the splendor of all that You have made. Inspire us to be ever vigilant in our stewardship of it. And may all that we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell cause us to worship You with all our hearts, minds, and strength. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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