Kelvin Jones/Planet Green
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Not everyone can actually live in one of the stunning residences we show you on World's Greenest Homes, but you can at least feel like you're getting closer. Adding a small eco-friendly touch can make your home seem like it's the greatest, and greenest, in the world. Here are some easy tips to make your humble dwelling feel like an eco-palace.
- Set your table sustainably.
For a simple switch that's as eco-smart as it is elegant, swap out paper napkins for their cloth counterparts. Rotate a couple of sets of re-usable cloth napkins at your dinner table to conserve natural resources, and reduce the amount of trash your household contributes to landfills. Pick up some napkins made from recycled materials, salvage some vintage linens, or DIY your own set from fabric remnants. Whatever kind you choose, opt for energy-smart maintenance by washing your napkins in cold water, and drip-drying them on a clothesline. - Put your books against the wall.
Exterior walls are often a source of heating leaks in homes, but you can take steps to plug the gap from the inside out. Storing books and other items on shelves installed all the way up a wall that borders the outside will help you maintain lower-wattage climate control. A little shoestring DIY insulation in the form of literature can cut down your energy usage and your carbon footprint, so put a couple layers of Shakespeare between you and the great outdoors. - See things in a new light.
Whether you're living in the Taj Mahal or in a cramped basement apartment, as long as you've got a light bulb in your home, there's a way to go green. Switch to compact fluorescents - just be sure you recycle them when you're done. You can also opt for LEDs, which are slightly more expensive, but easier to dispose of. If you don't want to replace your bulbs, at least reduce your usage of regular incandescents by installing dimmers that'll help you make a habit of keeping lights low or off whenever possible. Since low lighting is more atmospheric than a lot of bright glare, dimmers even help make your home as easy on the eyes as it is on the earth.
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