Tara Rae Miner - Your Green Abode: A Practical Guide to a Sustainable Home

YOUR GREEN ABODE

a practical guide to a sustainable home

Tara Rae Miner

2010 by Tara Rae Miner

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Skipstone, an imprint of The Mountaineers Books

Printed in the United States of America

First printing 2010

12 11 10 09 5 4 3 2 1

Copy Editor: Julie Van Pelt

Design: Heidi Smets

Cover illustration: istock.com

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-59485-275-6

ISBN (e-book): 978-1-59485-298-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Miner, Tara Rae, 1974-

Your green abode : a practical guide to a sustainable home / by Tara Rae Miner.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-59485-275-6 (trade pbk.) ISBN 978-1-59485-298-5 (ebook)

1. Ecological houses. 2. Sustainable living. I. Title.

TH4860.M56 2010

640dc22

2010015531

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LIVE LIFE. MAKE RIPPLES.

FOR JASON AND SIGNE

When my husband and I purchased a 160-year-old schoolhouse in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts, greening it was the furthest thing from my mind. I quickly fell in love with its quirky characteristics, eleven-foot ceilings, and wavy, handmade glass windows. But before we had even closed the deal, I had already put together a mental checklist of what we would need to change. Step 1: remove hideous wallpaper. Step 2: remove hideous vinyl counter tops. Step 3: paint over hideous yellow walls.

Faced with a gamut of home remodeling choices, Im guessing that you, like me, would probably rather invest your limited time and money in a couple of gallons of paintmake it look goodand get back to your busy life. A green house might conjure up images of that funky straw-bale thing a friend of a friend built on that creek outside of town or one of those hexagonal structures mildly reminiscent of extraterrestrial aircraft.

For some, a green building is the latest multibillion-dollar high-rise downtown. For others, its a home you have to build from the ground up, complete with solar panels, radiant floor heat, low-E (low-emissivity) insulated windows, and sustainably harvested lumber. A green home is alternative crunchy or the latest hip thing. I certainly didnt think the concept could apply to my house in Massachusetts, a structure built well over a century before the word green was used to describe a lifestyle or building.

And yet the first premise of this book is that any home can be green. And I mean anyfrom your 400-square-foot loft on the Upper East Side to your 1970s-era suburban ranch, from your farmhouse on twenty acres to your sweet bungalow in the old part of town. You can make it green.

The second premise is that any shade of green is better than brown. In other words, every little bit helps. And perhaps this idea is the more important of the two. This book is not intended to make folks feel guilty about their carbon-emitting, chemical-laden, resource-intensive homes (kidding!). Few of us are capable of a whole-house renovation, and I wouldnt suggest it anyway. The process of greening your home is a process of getting to know your home. If you rush, youll not only make mistakes, youll miss out on all the fun. My advice is to start small; do what interests you and what you can afford (or what might save you money, as many green upgrades do).

But of course its not all about you. If youve picked up this book, Id venture to guess that you have an interest in the welfare of our planetour home in a bigger sense. If someone has given you this book as a kind hint, you might be surprised to know that residential homes are responsible for 17 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Thats rightgreen choices dont just involve coal-burning power plants and whether you drive or bike to the grocery store. Where we live, and how we live there, has a big impact on the climate and our extended environment. As global warmings dire predictions top the headlines every day, along with news of old-growth forests falling to the chainsaw and sprawl, along with scary statistics of the number of chemicals coursing through our bodies, along withDoesnt it make you want to do something? The good news is you can. And what better place to start than under your very own roof?

This book can help, but let me clarify what its not. Its not a book for aspiring green architects and designers. Im not going to talk about your houses energy or crystals or even feng shui. I have never built a house, though I have changed the carbon footprint of one.

What I would like to offer you is some advice based on my own experience, both in home remodeling and in my own best attempts at green livingoh, and a little optimism too. I really do believe that there is something empowering about understanding the impact your personal choices have on the planet and being able to make better ones.

So if youve ever wondered how much energy you really save by screwing in a compact fluorescent bulb, heres where to look. Troubled by the list of undecipherable chemicals in your bathroom cleaning products, curious if there are better natural options? Ive got some answers for you. Think cork is only appropriate for wine bottles or that compost comes in bags? Im here to tell you different. Believe natural, eco, and green need be dull, muted, and drab? Time to reevaluate.

Your Green Abode is filled with advice on green living, green remodeling, and green gardening. Itll help you understand how much energy your house uses and how to spare both the planet and your budget. Youll learn how to keep the air and inhabitants inside your home healthier and how to save trees, water, and land simply by exercising your power of choice. Organizations and publications are mentioned throughout the book and in the Recommended Resources section at the end, to help you on your way.

Our homes reflect who we are. Isnt it about time yours stood for what you believe in?

You cant measure them in square footage, but the benefits of green changes you make to your home will extend well beyond its walls. This need not be a completely altruistic endeavor, though my money is on your heart being in the right place. Greening your home comes with many associated benefits that improve planetary health, including some that translate into money in the bank.