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Insulation is the most important green upgrade to your home. It's more important than solar panels, unplugging your appliances or an Energy Star fridge. The majority of our energy expenditures go to climate control. Putting insulation in your attic, roof and walls can extend the life of your home. Your house will be more comfortable with insulation, and you'll spend less money.
You'll also be healthier according to some university named Harvard.
Why Insulation is Healthy
It takes a lot of energy to adequately to control the temperature of your home. We have to burn fossil fuels to create that energy. That creates a lot of pollution. This pollution causes respiratory and cardiovascular complications in a lot of people.
45 million US homes are without adequate insulation. If these homes were to be properly insulated, we could save 800 trillion BTUs, prevent 240 premature pollution-related deaths and decrease asthma attacks by a whopping 6,500 per year. It also decreases the number of restricted-activity days for people with respiratory ailments.
Insulation is in everyone's interest. Don't think you can afford new insulation? The government might foot the bill. And if you can afford insulation, you should have an Energy Star contractor do an energy audit on your home. (or you can do one yourself.)
More on Insulation
How I Went Green and Why You Should Too
10 Green Home Improvement Resolutions Make Now
Convince Your Local Historic Commission to Go Green (Video)
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