Everyone has a personal responsibility for keeping the planet green and healthy. So, what can we do to assist in greening the planet? Massive change is necessary but if we’re not capable of that small adjustments add up to profound shifts. Leave the big changes to those with the resources to implement them.

We can make small advancements simply by starting in our homes and businesses. If you have never thought about working for yourself then re-think this possibility. If you consider the benefits of working for yourself doing what you love to do, the benefits spill over in so many ways.

Have you considered starting a home based business? Do you realize the positive planetary and personal gains to be realized by doing this? Consider the following…

1. By working from home you reduce the amount of time in your vehicle which relieves the already congested traffic in most major cities.
2. It reduces green house gases which contribute to the warming of the planet.
3. It reduces our dependency on oil to allow the introduction of other technologies such as electric cars.
4. Big business knows what makes them money. The planet must go green they know this.
5. Staying at home to work allows more personal time with family which also greens the planet by bringing families back together.
6. Take the time to research the many ways to start your own business from home doing what you know and love. Building a business based on your personal knowledge and genuine interest sparks passion that fuels the process to levels of success far surpassed by working at what you don’t like.
7. If you’re thinking this is easy, well it isn’t. But I assure you working hard for yourself beats working hard for someone else any day. What you will find is that the time you put in building your business really doesn’t seem difficult until you look back after your success and say “How did I do that?”
8. Working from home is not for everyone. But it may be for you.
9. Working from home allows for personal time to sneak away to enjoy life doing whatever else you love to do. Keeping your own hours is very freeing.
10. Working at home essentially puts you back in control of your life.
11. Knowledge is power. Use your personal experiences and passions to enlighten anyone who wants to listen. Believe me, there are a lot of people who are seeking information. Share.

Greening your home also includes greening your body. Endorse and promote companies and lifestyle that sell organic and sustainable resources. Eat organically grown produce and restrict our use of packaged fast and frozen foods. Buy products that are eco-friendly by being biodegradable. By displaying our desire to use and promote these resources we send a message to everyone.

The way of the future is green. The future of business is eco-commerce. Live well, Live Green.

The health of ourselves and the planet should be our top priority. Spread the eco-word through business and personal endeavors.

[http://www.ecoroomdecorating.com]

Author: Margaret Zobatar
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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According to an article by Dale Neal, “Video Touts Region on Green Economy,” in the February 22, 2008 Asheville Citizen-Times more than 80 green builders are based in WNC. In the 7-minute video, Neal mentions, titled “AdvantageGreen,” is directed by American Green TV’s Kurt Mann and discusses green building practices in and around Asheville, North Carolina.

The video features three WNC solar energy companies and highlights three major projects: FLS Energy’s installation of solar panels on a Greensboro hotel, Appalachian Energy’s installation of solar hot water systems on the roofs of Arby’s restaurants and Sundance Power’s installation of solar panels at Deltec Homes.

Simple Ideas for Living Green

Living a more earth friendly and healthy lifestyle is not as difficult as many people believe. Green building methods and alternative energy systems are increasingly affordable for the average citizen. There are even ways to make an existing structure more energy efficient whether it is a residential home or a commercial building.

Energy Star Efficiency Standards

One of the easiest ways to improve energy efficiency is to purchase products recognized by the Energy Star program. Energy Star is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and gives special certification to products that offer the highest level of efficiency in a particular category. All products certified must meet specific guidelines and are then allowed to carry the Energy Star logo. For more information about Energy Star, visit: http://www.energystar.gov/.

Energy Efficient Lighting

Natural light is the simplest way to save energy at home. Consider the size and location of all the windows in your home. Well-placed skylights or atriums also increase natural light and electrical efficiency. Although it is easier to make these considerations when building your home, you’ll be surprised at how quickly an investment in a smart, energy efficient renovation can pay for itself.

Energy Efficient, Green Living with Passive Solar and Passive Cooling

Passive solar and passive cooling are excellent strategies to maintain energy efficiency. Passive solar optimizes the use of heat-trapping materials. Many aspects of a home affect heating and cooling, even the direction it faces can decrease energy costs.

When choosing a passive solar solution, remember basic facts like homes facing the South are warmer than homes facing the North. Homes facing the East are warmer in the morning and those facing West are hotter in the afternoon. Passive cooling is facilitated by the wind in higher elevations. Mountain slopes facing away from predominant winds provide shelter and warmth. Slopes facing predominant winds are cooler.

Properly insulated walls, windows, roofs and floors are also crafted to attract or deflect the sun’s heat. Special window glazing can increase heating efficiency in the winter and shades or blinds affect cooling in the summer. The correct use of ceiling fans in the appropriate season can also improve energy efficiency.

Energy Efficient Landscaping: How Trees Support Energy Efficient Homes

The trees in your yard also support energy efficiency. In an article titled “Passive and Proud: Green Energy Ideas for Your Home,” writer and Northern California real estate agent Carolyn Gjerde-Tu of Discover David Homes, states, “Landscaping is another important consideration when thinking about energy efficiency. Deciduous trees (leafy in summer, bare in winter) provide wonderful shade for your home in summer, but allow the sun to help warm your home in winter. Plant these trees on the sides of your home that receive the most sun. Evergreens can also provide an effective break from chilling winds in winter.”

An Energy Efficient Initiative: NC HealthyBuilt Homes

NC HealthyBuilt Homes is an initiative supported throughout the state by the North Carolina Solar Center, the State Energy Office, the Asheville Home Builder Associations and the Western North Carolina Green Building Council (WNCGBC). According to the WNCGBC web site, wncgbc.org, the NC HealthyBuilt program promotes improved energy efficiency, indoor air quality and environmental accountability.

Energy efficient building also offers a number of federal and state tax advantages. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE), http://www.dsireusa.org is a comprehensive list of tax and homeowner incentives. North Carolina and Asheville information is carefully detailed in the database along with other cities and states.

Energy efficiency is a simple, affordable way to begin living a healthier, greener lifestyle. Whether you are building a new home or searching for a way to increase the value of your existing home, an investment in increased home efficiency is an investment in the future.

Charlie Ball has a background in residential, retail, and commercial development and his focus is in environmentally sensitive development that preserves settlers history and heritage. He and his wife Troy developed low density residential properties in the Austin area, incorporating conservation easements into their designs. Charlie has been personally involved in the design of Whisper Mountain, just outside of Asheville North Carolina, the site of the Southern Living 2008 Idea House. Visit Whisper Mountain at http://www.whispermountainnc.com or email info@whispermountainnc.com for more information.

Author: Charlie Ball
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Electric Pressure Cooker

And here’s something even stranger: The labels on cleaning products don’t even tell you about most of the really nasty stuff that’s inside them. If these products are as safe as they’re claimed to be, why don’t the companies tell us what’s in them? Call me suspicious, but I honestly don’t think it’s because the recipe is top secret. If it was, there wouldn’t be so many competing products with identical ingredients.

Don’t look to the government for help on this one. They only require companies to list “chemicals of known concern” on their labels. The key word here is “known.” The fact is that the government has no idea whether most of the chemicals used in everyday cleaning products are safe because it doesn’t test them, and it doesn’t require manufacturers to test them either. Actually, under the terms of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which administers the act, can’t require chemical companies to prove the safety of their products unless the agency itself can show the product poses a health risk-which the EPA does not have the resources to do since, according to one estimate, it receives some two thousand new applications for approval every year. How tough is their review? You, decide: In 2003, according to the Environmental Working Group, an agency watchdog, the EPA approved most applications in three weeks, even though more than half had provided no information on toxicity at all.

For the most part, the EPA simply relies on voluntary testing agreements with major manufacturers. Last time I checked the dictionary, “voluntary” meant “if you feel like it.”

Over at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), drug companies follow a more rigorous and respected process of testing before a medicine is approved for public use. But most of the things you buy in a drugstore aren’t drugs, and there is no such process for testing and approving the vast array of chemicals used in literally thousands of other everyday products and cleaners.

There’s seldom any way for you to know either what kinds of chemicals are in tub cleaner, detergent, shampoo, makeup, or anything else, or whether any of the ingredients are toxic. About the only information we’re commonly given is what the warning label on the product as a whole says-assuming it has one. Oh sure, if there’s a skull and crossbones and the word “poison” plastered on the container, we know it’s really dangerous stuff. But there are other levels of danger. The EPA assigns toxicity levels to products like cleaners and pesticides based upon ÿhow much harm they’re likely to cause if you swallow, inhale, or absorb them through your skin. How they measure this is pretty technical.

Sloan Barnett is a regular contributor to NBC’s Today Show and the Green Editor for KNTV, the NBC affiliate in San Francisco. She has been a television and print journalist for more than 10 years, and wrote a popular consumer advice column for New York’s Daily News for nearly a decade. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and three children. FMI, please visit: http://www.greengoeswitheverything.com

Author: Sloan Barnett
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Creditcard Currency Conversion Fee

Service area of this community college extends to more than 285,000 people at present that is likely to grow up to 1.6 million by end of 2030. On average the campus serves 13,000 students per annum. Average class size is 20 credit students per instructor. Located in heart of Avondale, the college maintains its commitments of providing postsecondary education and technical workforce training to local residents. Individual attention is the major focus and the task is accomplished by the dedicated staff and faculties at Southwest Skill Center.

Programs Offered

Associate degrees, specialized certificate programs and university transfer partnership. In addition, it is also the home of the South West skill center. 300 caring residents and adjunct faculty those are experts in the field. Online education is also available for aspirant candidates. All these form a stepping stone for migrating to 4-year universities and academies subsequently.

Admission

Open admission policy is followed by the college. Dual credit, life experience, and advance placement are accepted admission credits in the college.

Student Services and Financial Aids

Remedial services, academic and career counseling, PT cost defraying employment, career placement and campus library are the facilities provided for students by the college, besides federal, state, institutional grants, merit scholarships, and loans in terms of financial aids and assistance.

Unique Programs

Estrella Mountain Community College offers unique d ual enrollment program for students. Through the program high schools students can earn college credits while still attending high school and subsequent facilities for transferring the credits to colleges or universities. Another unique program is provided by the Southwest Skill Center where industry professional teach students workplace culture. Most popular unique program is learning for life that provides flexible non-credit courses and LEED Green Associate and Energy Audit training programs for individuals.

Accreditation

Estrella Mountain Community College is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Estrella Mountain College maintains a friendly staff that helps answering all questions of perspective students. They help students with unofficial transcript evaluations and interpreting ASSET and COMPASS test scores ensuring accurate class selections. Online degrees are also available in the college through distant education and weekend classes.

Author: Michael Mize Russell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A new development announced, to be built in the hills of Bee Cave, has got me thinking about the importance of leaving room for green space. The proposal is for a Tuscan-style residential development, called Cielo, that will include 400 luxury flats, condos and town homes, as well as 28 acres of green space beside the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.

While a real estate agent is usually excited about new development, after all, it means more homes to sell, there is a balance between making money and maintaining peace of mind. Not everyone enjoys the concrete and glass of the city, many people need a home near parks, with fresh air and room to move around outside. Also, if we develop every square foot of space, pave over every forest and field, where will the wildlife live? Already animals like deer are a nuisance to suburban neighborhoods. Without any home at all, they will become even worse. Not only that, but those of us that have lived here for a long time are rather attached to the natural beauty of the area, and while change is good, too much change can be just that: too much.

That’s why I respect the Tennessee-based Southern Land Co. for their decision to leave 28 acres of green space surrounding their Cielo development. It will complement the developments proximity to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, home to many endangered animals. If Southern Land Co. had gone with more traditional landscaping, the fertilizers and herbicides necessary to maintain it may have contaminated the Preserve. The high density nature of the development will further reduce the impact on the environment.

The green space will be an area that residents can enjoy, alongside the more traditional amenities of a resort-style pool, fitness club, cafe, theater and more. The green space will continue the amazing views provided by the Preserve, and will give residents the peace of mind knowing that their home is contributing to the fresh air and natural beauty of the area. The homes will even have window boxes, planted with colorful annuals. This development will truly be a nature-lover’s paradise.

Cielo will be the best of both worlds for its residents, with quality homes located in the beautiful hills of Bee Cave. Lake Travis is only a short drive away, and even the city of Austin is within easy reach.

Eric Bramlett is a realtor & broker servicing the Austin TX real estate market. Eric provides elite service and information to clients interested in homes and properties in Texas. For more information contact Eric, or visit online at www.ericbramlett.com

Author: Eric Bramlet
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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