It’s no surprise that given the current economic situation, heating, cooling and electrical costs are a factor in the decision making process when it comes to designing a new home. A green “less is more” approach encourages home designers to include creative storage solutions and find unique ways to reduce square footage and energy consumption without reducing functionality. Just a few ideas on how to improve the functionality of a small house plan include:

• Swapping out formal living rooms for open kitchen-family room layouts with separate teen rooms, play rooms or craft rooms adds functionality for many families without increasing the size or cost of the home.
• Removing hallways and opting for a split bedroom layout can eliminate wasted square footage and dark hallways, helping to lower utility bills.
• Stacking cabinets to the ceiling can add valuable storage space without taking up floor space.
• Organizing closets and pantries with extra tall doors and added shelving provides storage for off-season clothing or bulk items without adding square footage.
• Careful window placement can help lower heating/cooling costs and can provide daylighting so lights don’t have to be turned on during the day.
• Reducing bedroom sizes can allow for larger closets, mudrooms, or living areas where square footage is more efficiently used.

View some examples of small (yet functional) house plans:

• Small House Plans under 1000 sq/ft
• Small House Plans from 1000 to 2000 sq/ft

It’s Not “All Green or Nothing”
Realistically, not every budget can afford every green product or material on the market. Don’t let this stand in the way of adding a few green features to your home. Each green product or material choice you make is a step in the right direction, and compounded across many millions of homes, even small changes have a huge impact.

For more information and Green Building tips and ideas, check out these articles:

Green Building Options that Won’t Break Your Budget

It Is Easy Being Green: A Guide to Having a Green Home

What’s Wrong with “Normal” Eggs?

A pack of standard eggs at the grocery store probably came from an industrialized factory farm. Chickens here are kept in tiny wire cages barely bigger than their bodies their entire lives, while they sit immobile, unable to do anything but pop out eggs.

Many people feel chickens are one of the most abused and cruelly treated animals in the food industry, and by purchasing battery caged (factory-farmed) eggs, you are supporting the mistreatment of these animals. Several countries including Germany, Switzerland and Sweden have banned farming eggs using battery cages. In 2008, the state of California also banned the use of battery cages along with other anti-cruelty legislation, and similar legislation is in the works at local levels across the nation.

In addition to being a bad choice for the chickens, normal eggs may not be a great choice for your body. Chickens may be given antibiotics or hormones, and their diet can contain by-product and GMO ingredients. The quality of the eggs and nutritional value may be compromised.

From an environmental perspective, the concentration of chickens and chicken waste in factory farms produces high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus that contribute to ocean dead zones.




Free Range Eggs

Free range eggs sound like a great alternative, but they may not be all they’re cracked up to be. The USDA does not currently regulate the use of the term, so basically any egg can be labeled “Free Range,” whether or not the chicken is actually roaming free. In addition, even actual “Cage Free” chickens can still be fed a diet including animal by-products and GMOs, and antibiotics.

Organic Eggs

Chickens producing certified organic eggs must be allowed access to the outdoors and cannot be confined to a cage. In addition, organic egg producing chickens can only be fed certified organic feed containing no GMOs, and cannot be given regular doses of antibiotics. An organic certification also requires a higher level of humane treatment, including prohibiting the removal of beaks or wings without anesthesia, which may be done by commercial factory-farmers. So if you’re going to buy eggs, organic eggs are a better choice for you and the chickens.

The Green Egg Experiment

Taking organic eggs to an even greener level, I adopted three chickens to see if it would be reasonable to keep them as pets and get enough eggs out of the deal to make it worthwhile. The chickens roam the backyard, pecking at bugs and providing natural pest control.  I am able to feed them a healthy, balanced diet including fresh greens, nuts, seeds, berries, grains and vegetables. They are fairly inexpensive to feed and care for, especially since they love the mesquite leaves, acacia leaves and figs that grow in my yard.

Since I know exactly what’s going in, I know exactly what is in the egg - fresh, healthy organic ingredients. I can choose to feed a diet high in Omega-3, which in turn enriches the eggs. The difference in quality is obvious - the shells are rock hard and yolks are a rich orange color. Each of my chickens typically lays an egg every other day, which seems to be more eggs than I can use so I bring them to friends or cook them up for the dogs. Even skeptical friends agree that my chickens do lay better tasting eggs.

My “home-made” eggs are healthier for the environment, too. No fuel required or emmissions generated to get my eggs to my kitchen; I just walk outside and pick them up. There are no wasteful packaging materials, either. The plants in the yard benefit from the natural fertilizer produced by the chickens (this is my polite way of saying “chicken poop”) which has caused them to flourish and grow like never before.

My green chickens have a pretty good life. They have a large two story chicken condo complete with a covered patio and a birdbath. They have more yard to scratch than time in the day, and even have me trained to bring them snacks when they peck at the back door. When the weather is foul, the chickens come inside and hang out in a playpen in the mudroom. I admit, this is probably taking it too far, but a bird is a bird, right? The only difference between a parrot and a chicken is the added benefit of fresh scrambled eggs for breakfast and no talking back. They do have a very sweet disposition and are incredibly entertaining to watch.

If you’re interested in adding some chickens to your family, ask around at your local farmers market and chances are, someone can hook you up. If you want more of a “designer” breed, check at State or County Fair chicken shows (yep, chicken shows…) for unique varieties. Make sure you only get hens (pullets) so you don’t have any accidental fertilizations. Plus, roosters are noisy. Your chickens will still lay eggs, even without a man around the hen house.

Sources:

http://www.hsus.org/farm/camp/nbe/ 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-range_eggs
http://www.humanecalifornia.org/
http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jan/004

A recent study commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association showed a number of personal care products labeled “organic” contained a carcinogenic chemical, and many so-called organic products contain conventional petrochemical cleaning agents.

Read more on ingredients to watch out for, culprit brands, and the ongoing legal battle on the Organic Consumers Association website.





Now known as “the girl who’s cooking literally kills,” I pretty much avoid the stovetop and I hadn’t thought much about this until recently. I saw an episode of Stuff Happens with a blip on the possible dangers of non-stick coatings and decided to look into this since I still have those old pots and pans in the cabinet. According to the EPA, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA (chemical used in the manufacturing of some non-stick coatings) is a “likely carcinogen.” Several studies have shown that up to 95% of Americans have PFOAs in their bloodstream among other PFC chemicals, though it’s not clear how it got there. The EPA signed agreements with several non-stick chemical manufacturing companies to reduce PFOAs by 95% by 2010 with a complete phase-out by 2015. I decided it’s time for new cookware.

Avoiding Perfluorochemicals

• Avoid overheating pans with non-stick coatings, and don’t use pans if the coating is scratched
• Choose Cast Iron, Stainless Steel or Ceramic Cookware Instead
• Check labels on cosmetics and personal care products as some may contain these or other related perfluorochemicals (PFCs)
• PFCs may also be found in food packaging and stain resistant coatings, so check the labels!
• Bird owners or anyone interested in reading more about this topic in a somewhat heated article, check out Canaries in the Kitchen.

• Hand out organic candy or healthy snacks like trail mix.
• Trick-or-Treat for your local food bank: Accompany your kids (in costume, of course!) and ask your neighbors to donate a canned or non-perishable food item for the bank. Try organizing a community-wide effort by asking everyone in your neighborhood to do the same, and compete to see who can bring in the most food donations.
• Host a costume exchange party. Get together with your friends pre-halloween and exchange kids’ costumes rather than purchasing new ones.
• Make costumes and decorations from used or recycled materials and save them for next year.
• Participate in reverse trick-or-treating. Hand fair trade chocolate back to your neighbors along with a card explaining the social and environmental issues in the cocoa industry, including abusive child labor. More information is available at www.reversetrickortreating.org.

1. Sustainability means durability - you don’t want to install cheap products that will wear out or appear dated after just a few years. Request a sample of the product you’re considering and try scratching and chipping it to see how it holds up. Ask yourself if you’ll still love it in 10 years.
2. Consider the source - how far did the countertop material have to travel? What are the working conditions there?
3. Check VOC levels - some countertops may contain recycled materials, but what holds them together? What sort of sealer is applied? These glues and sealants may contain VOCs that ends up in the air inside your home.

There are so many choices when it comes to countertops. So which countertop materials are the greenest?

Vetrazzo
Vetrazzo contains 85% recycled content. Made from recycled glass and cement, the countertops are comparable to granite when it comes to maintenance and durability. The company is member of the USGBC and products are manufactured in the US and contains no VOCs.

Richlite
Richlite’s FSC line is a paper based countertop sourced from FSC managed renewable forests. The countertops come in several stain-resistant and heat-resistant colors and are 99% VOC-free.

IceStone
Made from 100% recycled glass and concrete, these countertops come in virtually every color. They are VOC-free, durable and heat-resistant.

Bio-Glass
If you’re looking for something different, check out Bio-Glass. Made from 100% recycled glass, these countertops have a unique look, almost a glow.

Concrete
Concrete can be a green choice for countertops. By choosing to use concrete from local sources and applying VOC-free stains and sealants, the end result is a customized countertop that rivals most in performance and “greenness,” especially if a fly-ash mix is used.

LEED points can be obtained using most of these materials.

Proper nutrition is just as important for your pet as it is for you. There are several brands of organic, all natural, holistic, or raw pets foods and treats that can help transition your pet over to a “green” diet:

The Honest Kitchen
Dehydrated raw pet food that’s guaranteed to be human-grade. This company takes fresh, raw ingredients and dehydrates them so almost all of the valuable nutrients, enzymes and vitimins remain. The foods are produced in a human food facility in California. They offer dehydrated raw foods for dogs and cats as well as some fun treats.

Nature’s Variety
Nature’s Variety offers several healthier options for your pet, including frozen raw diets, organic frozen meals, freeze dried raw foods, raw bones, grain-free foods and all-natural kibble. My dogs love the Organic Frozen Raw Chicken formula. Their raw diets include the nutritional benefits of ground raw bones.

Eagle Pack Holistic Select
Holistic Select formulas include several “extras” that you won’t find in grocery brands. Corn and soy-free, these holistic dog and cat foods also include prebiotics, probiotics, and antioxidants. The company uses USDA chicken that is hormone and antibiotic free and includes various fruits and vegetables in the foods. They also include Omega-3 and Omega-6 as well as glucosamine for healthy joints.

Natura
Natura offers several different lines of premium dog and cat foods. Grain-free EVO provides key nutrition obtained from raw foods in a convenient kibble. Karma is an organic line of dog food and treats with 95% organic ingredients.

Before you purchase your next bag of dog food, check the ingredient list to see what’s in it. “You are what you eat” applies to pets, too. You just might be surprised when you discover the difference a change to a high quality food can make.

You can’t get much greener than 100% electric. No generators, no gasoline of any kind, and the recyclable batteries will last for 100,000 miles. This makes it the only 100% fossil fuel-free production automobile currently available throughout the US.

All of this sportiness and “greenness” is not without compromise. Since it is based on the diminutive Lotus, it lacks many creature comforts, passenger space and luggage space. Most people drive places alone so this probably isn’t a huge problem, especially for commuters. Since it is a plug-in electric, the source of the power that it plugs in to may or may not be green. The car’s “greenness” is also slightly compromised by the fact that many of the materials and components used in the production of the vehicle still leave a significant carbon footprint. But you can’t win ‘em all.

As a performance automobile, the instant torque of the electric motor allows for impressive acceleration numbers. Many of your other senses that are awakened by a traditional sports car are lacking, which is both a plus and a minus. The Tesla Roadster is dead quiet. There is no rumbling exhaust, no revving engine, no odor of racing fumes. Since it’s a 2 speed drive train (one for acceleration, one for top speed) it lacks the thrill of a perfectly executed heal-toe shift. On the flipside, for business persons conducting calls while commuting, the quite atmosphere is ideal for speaker-phone conferences, and I suppose we can all give up the boyish need for rumbling exhaust systems in the interest of saving the planet.

The two biggest drawbacks to the Tesla Roadster really are its price and availability. It costs more than $100,000 and production is limited to only 1,000 vehicles. It is likely destined to become a “green” status symbol rather than a solution to traditional gasoline powered transportation for the masses.

Fortunately for those of us who didn’t make it on the list or can’t afford the hundred grand, the innovators at Tesla Motors have proven that an all electric vehicle can be profitably designed, built and sold in the marketplace. The technology and techniques used in this cutting edge all electric car are scalable to larger automobiles, and larger volumes of production will bring the cost down. Five years from now, we will likely look back at this sexy, swift “golf cart” as one of the forbearers of a truly green transportation system.

For more information, visit TeslaMotors.com

Just one of many examples, homeowners building a LEED Certified home in New Mexico may quality for a tax credit of up to $9.00 per square foot. The state of Arizona offers taxpayers a credit of 25% of the cost of installing solar technology, including solar pool and water heaters, up to $1000.

The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org) provides information on local incentives, rebates and tax breaks for solar and other renewable energy installations by state.