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What Does 'Green' Really Mean?
10/09/2007
Editor’s Note: The
following column is in response to a special supplement published by the Fort
Worth Star Telegram on Sunday, September 23rd titled “THE
GREEN CHALLENGE” that included interviews with various families across the
Metroplex regarding their participation in a greener environment on the home
front. The supplement encouraged readers to strengthen our friendship with the
environment in five major areas: [1] travel, [2] water use, [3] food, [4]
recycling, and [5] energy efficiency. My column is obviously smaller in scope;
however, I believe it will be meaningful to our community as well as hopefully
encourage our readers to live and work a greener life.
Living O’ the Green requires a little thinking and planning like anything
worthwhile. Not only do we need to live the green, but it’s important to work
the green as well. From individual citizens and local companies to major
corporations and our national government, we can all do our part to green the
world starting in our own homes. From environmental-light to green extreme --
depending on your preferred shade of green --- you can start small by recycling
a few newspapers a week or take it to the extreme by sacrificing the comforts of
modern life such as getting your water from a well and relying on your
electricity from solar panels like one of the “Green Challenge” families
reported in the Star-Telegram a few weeks ago.
Yes, living and working the green can mean many things to many people. To a
police officer, a functioning green traffic light signals “go” which means s/he
doesn’t have to stand in the middle of the street directing traffic. To an
elementary school teacher, green means good student behavior which means greater
student learning. Green also means cash, as in good wealth. Green means nature.
Green means environmentally friendly. To me, green means Granny Smith apples and
green veggies. Green also means buying local fruits and vegetables at the
Farmer’s Market to save energy and decrease pollution on the 1200-mile trip that
most food travels to reach your dinner plate. Visit
www.simplyfreshfw.com or
www.picktexas.com for information on the Tarrant County Farmer’s Market.
To Burleson Realtor, Shelley Green, green means growth. “Green is good,”
that’s my motto!” said Green. As a Realtor for the “Green Team” at the new
Keller Williams office in Burleson, Green has been working in the real estate
industry for the past nine years when the population of Burleson was
approximately 18,000 and has seen her share of green with respect to the growth
in Burleson with a population of about 51,000 today. “The growth in Burleson
means greener pastures. I believe good things are coming and good things are
already happening in Burleson.” To learn tips on how to “green” your home,
visit
www.greenstreetnews.blogspot.com.
Most recently, Green has been working with a local custom builder who focuses
on environmentally-friendly home designs. Frank McCaslin of McCaslin Custom
Homes was interviewed by Channel 11 about six months ago for his “green home”
designs, notably his Solar Radiant Barrier roof decking that reflects 97 percent
of the sun’s heat.
“While recycling is important to our environment, decreasing the cost of the
way we actually live in our home can save us thousands of dollars a year,” said
McCaslin.
McCaslin also offers home design solutions for homeowners to conserve water
with the installation of a dual-flow toilet flushing system: a half-gallon flush
and a second button for 1.6 gallons. According to McCaslin, a family of four
could save 25,000 gallons of water a year with the dual-flow system. For more
information, visit
www.mccaslinhomes.biz.
Water conservation is also important to Tim Christian of Burleson’s Christian
Irrigation Company.
“If your irrigation system is correctly designed, installed and maintained,
it will help minimize the amount of water you use while keeping your lawn
healthy,” said Christian. “You can actually save money by using an irrigation
system.”
The following are “Tim’s Tips” for a greener lawn:
- Divide your yard and landscaped areas into
separate irrigation zones so that grass can be watered separately and more
frequently than groundcovers, shrubs and trees. Both sprinkler and drip
irrigation can be incorporated to achieve more efficient use of water.
- Install a “rain/freeze sensor” shut-off
device [which can be installed in older models as well] that automatically
detects rain or moisture. According to Christian, this device shuts off your
irrigation during rainfall and prevents it from coming back on until the sensor
dries out. In addition, the device senses and ceases operation during cold
weather when the temperature is below 37 degrees to prevent freezing water on
your drive way, sidewalk as well as damage to plants. Christian added that all
newly installed irrigation systems must include a rain/freeze sensor.
- Utilizing the advance features on your
irrigation system allows you to program multiple start times with shorter duration to avoid water run-off. For
example, instead of a ten-minute run time, consider watering twice [several
hours apart] for five minutes.
For information on city water ordinances, visit
www.burlesontx.com and/or Christian Irrigation call 817/295-3170.
Burleson Home Inspector Mike McGuire of Secure Inspections is a firm believer
in the “tankless water heater” which is a “water-on-demand” system requiring
less energy than conventional water heaters which use up to 80 gallons of water.
The tankless water heater heats immediately when the hot water faucet is turned
on. The system has smaller tubes and is easier to heat while the water is being
delivered. They have been on the market for several years and are becoming more
mainstream. Some systems fit in a wall cavity and don’t take up a lot of floor
space like conventional heaters.
“You can buy a 4 gallon per minute system for around $350 or a 12-gallon per
minute system for about $850. It saves energy and money,” said McGuire. McGuire
extends his green home health philosophy by placing safety first. “Homes are
healthier when safety is secured,” said McGuire. “Home health and safety go
together.”
A police officer for 12 years, McGuire has seen many homes that may be
considered “healthy homes”, but not necessarily safe due to neglecting simple
safety precautions such as door locks. “The biggest safety issue and probably
the easiest to address is securing exterior doors by installing 3” screws in the
strike plates to ensure the dead bolt is safe and secure. Most homes have a 1”
screw that is usually installed in the wood of the doorframe which can be easily
broken into,” said McGuire. “Supplementary, or back up, locks on all of your
windows is important to the overall security plan for your home as well.”
For a free copy of Mike’s SecureHome Guide which highlights practical
steps to secure a healthier home, visit
www.secureinspections.net or call 817/793-9843.
Our national government has taken a holistic approach to keep homes healthy
by reducing environmental hazards that are preventable with the launch of the
“Healthy Homes Initiative” [HHI] which addresses lead-based paint, poor air
quality, and mold/moisture control. The HHI was introduced by the United States
Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] to build upon the Department’s
existing activities in housing-related health and safety issues which include
lead hazard control, building structural safety, electrical safety, and fire
protection to address multiple childhood diseases and injuries in the home.
Visit
www.hud.gov/offices/lead/hhi/index.cfm for more information on home
safety. HUD is also the arm of our government that has established a program
through the Federal Housing Administration [FHA] to relieve many home owners who
have suffered great financial loss as a result of Adjustable Rate Mortgages
[ARM]. Perhaps they will enjoy greener pastures in the months and years to come.
In the meantime, live and work O’ the Green, and make our world a healthier,
safer place --- one home at a time.
Originally published in
Burleson-Crowley Connection Newspaper,
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