Cork is one of the most environmentally friendly materials.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of cork is the little plug that you use as a wine bottle stopper. It’s no wonder why, considering that the main commercial use for cork is the wine bottle stopper. The question is, can cork be used for other things? With its useful properties, the potential for other commercial uses of cork is wide and varied.

Check out these interesting facts about cork:

1. Cork is a renewable resource.
2. Cork can be harvested without damaging the environment. (Note: Bamboo, hemp, rattan, and water hyacinth also can be sustainably grown and managed, but the advantage of cork is that it can be harvested without killing plants or trees)
3. Cork comes from the cork oak tree.
4. Cork is made of a honeycomb structure that contains an air-like substance.
5. Cork is long lasting.
6. Ancient cork oak forests spread over two and a half million hectares in Italy, Spain, France, Algeria, Portugal, Morocco, and Tunisia.
7. Cork oak takes twenty-five years to reach maturity. Once it does, the bark can be peeled off the tree. When professionals execute this process, no harm is done to the trees. The cork bark grows back in nine years.
8. People have been living off the income generated from peeling cork oaks and selling cork for hundreds of years.
9. Cork oak forests have been protected by royal decrees and government legislation for hundreds of years.
10. Cork is one of the most environmentally friendly materials.

One unique use for cork is cork flooring. Cork flooring is light in weight but the material is strong and flexible. As far as using it for flooring goes, it is easy to stain and add patterns so it can be made to fit in with any style of interior decorating. It’s honeycomb structure gives cork flooring its soft and springy quality. When weight is removed from the cork flooring, it regains its original shape making cork flooring suitable for high traffic situations and heavy furniture. With proper care, it can last for many years.

Cork flooring contains suberin, which is a waxy substance that seals the flooring and makes it water and mold resistant, in addition to fire retardant. Cork flooring is also allergen free so it is perfect for people with dust and mold allergies.

Cork flooring is a much more affordable alternative compared to hardwood flooring for many reasons. The price of hardwood floors to purchase is higher. Cork happens to be a great natural insulator that can absorb heat in the cold winter months, thereby keeping the home warmer and requiring less energy. Another great quality of cork is that it is an acoustic insulator so it’s very quiet. It really is a wonder for anybody coming home late at night and not wanting to wake up the rest of the house.

Bamboo is stronger than most hardwood flooring options.

There are a variety of green ways to floor your home, which is not only good for the environment, but is also good for you and your family, roommates, and pets. Some of the options tend to cost more than conventional flooring options, but when it comes down to helping the environment, the benefits out weigh the higher costs.

One option is bamboo flooring. Bamboo is grass that grows fast. Bamboo is highly sustainable because it reaches maturity quickly and has the ability to replenish itself. Bamboo is stronger than most hardwood flooring options. In addition to bamboo’s strength and durability, it is available in a wide variety of earth tones and caramelized colors. Another added benefit is that bamboo flooring is water resistant which makes it a great choice for bathroom flooring. As far as pricing goes, bamboo is a little less expensive than hardwood flooring.

A second option is concrete flooring. Concrete flooring is on the rise in terms of going green with your flooring for a number of reasons. Concrete uses very little energy in production compared to the other flooring types, it requires no trees to be cut down to produce it, it is recyclable, and concrete floors do not contain any harmful volatile organic compounds. Many synthetic carpets do contain volatile organic compounds. Coupled with all of these pros, concrete floors are great energy savers. In the summer, you’ll need to use your air conditioning less because the concrete floors make you feel cooler. During the wintertime, concrete floors naturally absorb the heat from the sun, which will help keep your house warm.

Cork is a third option because of its durability, soft feel, its ability to provide thermal and acoustic insulation and its resistance to fire and rot. Cork flooring does not require professional installation.

A fourth option is natural linoleum, which is made from linseed oil and pine resin, both of which are natural and renewable resources. conventional linoleum contains harmful volatile organic compounds and other toxic chemicals, whereas natural linoleum does not. Some of the best qualities of natural linoleum include; stain resistance for easier cleanup, water resistance, and durability. A potential downside depending on your preference is that natural linoleum has a very distinct smell of linseed oil, which may irritate some people. On the positive side, natural linoleum is easy to clean and does not attract dust, so it’s a good choice for people with asthma and allergies.

Recycled rubber tiles are a fifth option for flooring, and a great one because it is recycled and it requires a minimal amount of energy to manufacture. Recycled rubber flooring is ideal for families with little kids because it is sound absorbent, durable, stain resistant, easy to install and easy to clean.

Terrazzo Flooring is a sixth option for flooring and has been used for hundreds of years, but is gaining popularity as more and more people are searching for eco friendly flooring options. Terrazzo flooring lasts a long time and is easy to maintain. 95% of recycled glass terrazzo is made from glass waste, and the left over portion is made of epoxy or cement, neither of which contains volatile organic compounds.

A final option is wool carpeting, which is a great option for those who want to be eco friendly and still have some form of carpeting. The manufacturing of most synthetic carpets yields toxic fumes as a result of the petroleum based ingredients and the volatile organic compounds that are utilized in their production. Wool is a natural resource that is sustainable, and is one hundred percent biodegradable.

NJ School of Architecture professor indicates how to build an environmental-friendly residence on a tight budget.

Author – Cynthia Booth.

Did you know that two NYC-based designers designed an asymmetrical home with a fixed budget of $250,000?

Architects and Jersey City residents Richard Garber (assistant professor at NJ Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture and Design in Newark) and Nicole Robertson of GRO Architects in NY rose to the difficult task of creating and overseeing the building of a single-family house that’s a genuine evidence of both revolutionary design and environmental-friendly technologies.

Not too long ago, Denis Carpenter purchased a compact vacant lot to attempt his interest for the environment – a house that was environment friendly and very easy to maintain.

What’s so exceptional about this home?

• Inside the home, on the ground level, radiant heating beneath the exposed concrete floor warms the full bathroom and two bedrooms.
• In the loft-like 2nd level, sleek aluminum and stainless steel railings accent the bamboo stairway to the mezzanine, family room and an artfully designed kitchen, outfitted with restored devices and cabinetry.
• Passive a/c strategies like ceiling fans and clerestory windows make it possible for occupants to be cool during summer and warm during winter months.
• The roof consists of 260 sq. ft. of photovoltaic panels that supply about 2,000 kilowatts of energy every year to a battery stored in the basement.
• The root have a 2-foot-square area planted with drought-resist to collect rain.

This single family 1,600-square-foot home was constructed in 6 months and won a 2009 American Institute of Architects merit award and the 2010 Green Building of the Year Award from the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.

How can you transform your home into an eco-friendly home without spending too much money?

If you’re redesigning a home, conduct an energy audit first to help you identify what energy efficiency changes should and can be made to your home. In this way you’ll calculate how much energy your home needs.

My personal favorite eco-friendly technique is the passive solar cooling/heating design.

Passive solar usually means that your home’s windows, walls, and floors can be made to collect, store, and distribute power from the sun in the form of heat in the wintertime and reject solar heat in the summer.

Existing structures can be adapted or “retrofitted” to passively collect and store solar heat too.

The following five elements constitute a comprehensive passive solar home design:

1. The Collector – The area through which sunlight enters the building (usually windows).
2. The Absorber – The hard, darkened surface of the storage element – sunlight hits the surface and is absorbed as heat.
3. The Thermal Mass – The materials that retain or store the heat generated by sunlight below or behind the absorber surface.
4. The Distributor – The technique by which solar heat circulates from the collection and storage points to different areas of the house.
5. The Controller – Roof overhangs may be used to shade the aperture area during summer months or thermostats that signal a fan to turn on.

About Author – Cynthia Booth writes for the architecture careers blog. It’s a nonprofit web-site dedicated to offer help for beginning architects who need resources for their careers. With this she would like to raise the attention on eco-friendly home design and change the general public perception of energy efficiency.

Castile soaps can be used all around the house.

Castile soaps are popular brands of environmental-friendly soaps that are now making the rounds of homes which are able to use them in a variety of ways. Some people who have heard of this soap have also taken to using it as an alternative beauty product. Its flexibility in use is also contributing to a number of benefits for all users. A Castile soap is either made from a vegetable oil, olive oil, jojoba or other natural plant extracts. Its natural ingredients are considered its primary appeal to many users who are more open to using alternative materials that are less harmful to the environment.

Castile soaps either come in the white solid bar or liquid form but their uses and benefits are basically the same. Its origins is said to be from Spain in the 16th century era where it was then known as “jabon de Castilla”. Its many benefits and uses:

Bath Soap. It is known to be a favorite of people with sensitive skin as its gentle and natural ingredients works against acne, blemishes, and dry skin. The olive oil ingredient is also best for eczema and psoriasis. It also works as a natural moisturizer.

Best for Babies. It is also safe for babies whose sensitive skins cannot tolerate strong chemicals in soaps.

Lather. For men, it can also be used as a lather for shaving and because of its natural ingredients, helps to naturally moisturize the skin after the shave.

Laundry and Dish Soap. Interestingly, Castile soaps also work well as laundry soaps and are known to clean soiled clothes and even diapers effectively compared to some laundry soaps with harsh and strong chemical compounds. It is also used as a dish soap which effectively cleans and rids of food smell.

Shampoo. It also works as an effective shampoo and does not leave an itchy, dry feeling that commonly happens with liquid shampoos that have strong chemical ingredients. Its gentle ingredients do not leave any traces of flakes in the scalp that are sometimes triggered by commercial shampoos’ drying effects.

Floor Cleaner. Used as a floor cleaner, families do not need to worry about having their small children or babies lying and sitting down on the floor that’s been cleaned with Castile soap as it is totally free from any harmful chemical.

Pet Soap. Not only are Castile soaps flexible for human use but can also be used on pets – cats, dogs, or any other type of pets one has that need to have their regular bath.  Pet owners can use the soap as well and it is guaranteed to be safe and will not irritate the furry and hairy friends.

Tooth Paste. Castile soaps are also good and safe teeth cleaners.  While they may not taste nice when used as an alternative toothpaste, they still can make good teeth cleaners.

Antioxidant. Castile soaps are proven to be effective in fighting cell degeneration because of its olive oil component.
Biodegradable.

Because they are completely free from the common strong chemical compounds used in cleaning or hygiene materials, Castile soaps can be used all around the house and for anyone around the house. Also, its guaranteed safety components can completely dissolve in waterways rather than pollute it.

Castile soaps are becoming more and more popular for their variety of use and the greater benefits it can give that it is expected that more households will be using this kind of soap for decades, and yes, even centuries to come. The availability of its natural ingredients is making their presence stronger in and outside the United States. Some companies are now developing Castile soap bars and liquids in many colors and fragrance to choose from.

Power derived from people is a green energy that could be using for charging up any and all electronic gadgets.

With so many electronic gadgets in the world today it seems like we are constantly charging them. There is technology being developed though that would tap into the energy of people’s movements. This could be used to power mobile device and possible an entire structure. The power derived from people is a green energy that could be using for charging up any and all electronic gadgets in place of traditional electricity that causes a carbon footprint.

Facility: Innovate is an architectural research company in London. It is working on making an energy collector in areas that draw a lot of people such as shopping malls, sport complexes and other buildings that have large events. This technology will not be noticeable though to the naked eye. However, their movement on the tiles will activate a pneumatic machine which then pushed air along to a turbine where is creates electricity according to Oliver Schneider, the managing director. Only a slight difference will be felt by people similar to being on a floor mat.

Oliver says, “We’re looking to generate around 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity (from each device) per day. That’s enough to charge around 300 phones per day.” This power will then be transferred to stations for the purpose of charging phones, or to be used for electronic signs and lighting too. Since this technology makes direct current, powering the local DC gadgets is a more effective use of it than converting it to AC to feed through the grid.

This company is preparing to install this type of mechanism for the first time in the USA later on in 2010 and somewhere in the UK quickly to follow. Even the ticket areas in the stadiums could do this, any spot where people congregate into a group.

This version of collecting movement energy can be placed under traditional flooring material, unlike the slabs for generating energy that the Pavegen Systems, another London company, devised. It means this version is much more versatile and can be used other places.

Now Zhong Lin Wang in Atlanta at Georgia Tech wants to use people’s footsteps make electricity without having to do special flooring to accomplish this. He wants to develop special shoe pads and similar devices that can collect energy using the pressure from the feet of the person wearing them, in the near future. These will utilize piezoelectric nanowire generators; these actually generate alternating current when handled correctly. Wang last month reported results of a mechanism around 5 centimeters wide which when it was flexed generated 1.3 volts, this is enough for an AA battery to get charged.

Over in Berkeley, Chieh Chang and his colleagues at University of California have come up with a process for printing the nanowires which similarly generate energy. These are created through electrospinning process. This takes a solution that is charged and processes it though a needle which is electrically charged and sends it to a grounded surface. This print method for nanogenerators could even be used with clothing and other textiles to charge up electronic devices for the person wearing them.

This is definitely a promising idea for energy savings. Anything we can do to lower the drain of resources in the world will help lessen our carbon footprint.

Biodiesel can be made from natural resources which are readily available.

There are many good reasons why biodiesel is a good fuel alternative to gasoline. Primarily, it is safer to the environment because it completely comes from renewable sources, is non-toxic, burns clean, and is totally biodegradable. Secondly, it is a renewable fuel and can easily be sourced out from natural, safe resources such as vegetable oils, soybean oils, canola oils, recycled cooking oils, sunflower oils, and animal fats.

Used as an alternative fuel, biodiesel has more benefits compared to petroleum. Its engine performance is either equal or even better than that of petroleum and it is readily available for people’s automobile use as it can be found in around 800 locations around the United States with 600 fleets currently using biodiesel blends. In 2005, an estimated 75 million gallons of biodiesel were sold, according a website of the US Environmental Protection Act.

Because of its safety and environmental-friendly components, biodiesel passed the standards of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and has subsequently been tested for all other environmental safety standard requirements by the government and passed them all compared to other alternative fuels which had some harmful components. As an alternative fuel, biodiesel also cuts greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by over 50 percent compared to petroleum diesel which only reduces GHG emissions by 10 percent, according to a report by the US Department of Energy. With people becoming more aware about the protection of the natural environment and making individual contributions to stop the global warming, the use of biodiesel in everyday personal automobile use is seen as one big step in this endeavor. Environmental groups are also seen to push for greater efforts toward achieving this universal goal.

Converting to biodiesel is easy as it works with most current diesel engines. While it is presently more expensive than the regular gasoline sold for automobile use, the price is expected to go down in the coming years as more people convert to it and the demand increases. Since it can be made from natural resources which are readily available within the country, responding to an increasing demand is expected to be met without so much as a problem from the levels of production, marketing, and distribution. The expected increase in the people’s need for a more safe and environmental-friendly fuel in biodiesel is seen as a positive response to the growing concern in global warming. A study revealed that an estimated 33 percent of vehicle harmful emissions contribute to the global warming phenomena.

While touted as the best alternative fuel of the new future, biodiesel is not only highly recommended for daily automobile use, but is also being pushed as another alternative energy source for both generating and heating purposes. A test conducted by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) revealed that 80 percent low-sulfur heating oil and a 20 percent biodiesel (B20) decreased emissions of sulfur oxide by almost 80 percent or even more. Emissions of nitrogen oxide decreased by around 20 percent while carbon dioxide similarly lowered by 20 percent.

Going “green” in everything that people do is the new way to doing things. From recycling to reusing to reducing to making use of renewable and alternative sources of energy such as biodiesel, solar heat, water, and wind lead to better earth preservation and living in harmony with nature. Biodiesel is the future in alternative fuel, knowing that already people must do their share in saving our environment and start using what is only the best and safest for both man and the earth.

Bottled water - is it really better than tap water?

There is a real controversy going on about bottled water today. Is it really better than tap water? “The Story of Bottled Water” was released on YouTube in honor of World Water Day. This is an innovative narration on the problem with the bottled water we like to buy today. Almost immediately the “International Bottled Water Association” stated this video as sensational. Then it brought out its short film stating the practices of sustainability, which their members participate with including brands such as Nestle.

The bottled-water story though stated that the companies that bring out bottled water are frightening consumers into believing their tap water is contaminated and dirty, when at the same time they use tap water in their bottling process. Two of the companies that do this that were mentioned in the video were Coke’s Dasani and Pepsi’s Aquafina. Annie Leonard is doing the narration for this video.

The video points out landfills get about 80 percent of the used plastic bottles or they get burned up. Of course the “International Bottled Water Association” states that things are different that 30.9 percent of the water bottles are actually recycled.

Tom Lauria, the VP of communications for the association, states “Consumers are really quite thoughtful in selecting and enjoying a safe, healthy, convenient, calorie-free beverage that’s delicious, refreshing and a very smart drink choice. That’s the real story of bottled water.”

It is pointed out by the association that the world has a need for bottled water in cases of emergencies such as tsunamis, earthquakes and floods. This water cannot be provided if there is not industry to make it.

But according to the United Nations, bottled water happens not to be a sustainable industry. In the United States alone the water produced takes oil to produce at the rate of 17 million barrels each year. At last resort IBWA’s video had only received 250 hits, while “The Story of Bottled Water” received 120,000 hits.

Today, we do need to be more careful about how many of the plastic bottles windup in landfills. If you must use bottled water reuse the bottles instead of trashing them. Even if you make a vase with them a stick a single flower in them. You alone can decide which side of the bottled water story you want to believe.

More and more people are turning to re-useable bottles and filling them with just plain tap water though in place of buying water. This way no plastic bottles have to be purchase at all to wind up in landfills later. If you are afraid your water is not totally safe to drink from the tap there are filters you can get to run your water through before you drink it.

So think about both sides of this story and see where you opinions lie. Conserve water and energy though to help lessen your carbon footprint. If you need to eliminate some of the bottled water you buy to accomplish this along with re-using or recycling any of the plastic bottles you do use.

Slowly people and manufacturers are becoming aware of the need for solar energy.

The cars powered by solar are just electric cars that do not need to be plugged in to be charged. Why? They have solar panels installed on the top of them to generate power. These panels collect the sun’s energy and transform it into electricity to power the cars. At present time these cars cannot go far on their solar power.

When the panels collect the sun’s energy, they will then send the energy directly to the batteries for whatever power the car needs to drive down the road right then. The excess power is stored to be used as needed. Right now the batteries will not store that much extra electricity, so these cars can only operate in a limited range.

So right now there is a lot of room for improvement on these cars. They are not as effective as they should be yet. These cars are very promising for the future as the solar technology improves. Solar cars can be our answer to using so many fossil fuels and the carbon footprint we are leaving at present time.

Traditional vehicles are among the top sources for the greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. In fact they are only beat out by power plants that run by burning coal. What country do you think leads in both of these statistics? You guessed it right, the United States. With pouring carbon dioxide into the air at a rate of over a billion tons a year from cars, and the plants burning coal giving off over 2 billion, the USA is not seen as environmentally conscience to some other countries across the world.

With the way the people of USA use power progress has been slow to adopt alternative sources such as solar energy. However, slowly people and manufacturers are becoming aware of the need for it. The energy companies and car manufacturers though have politicked to an extreme amount for more incentives and legislation. The large vehicles that suck up so much gas are still too loved by the American people and the market.

The cars powered by solar in the USA are small cars and very exclusive. The solar panels alone run over a-hundred-thousand dollars. However, these are extremely advanced in their technology and are the way of the future. These do not give off any greenhouse gases and are very quiet while they work at storing energy.

In other countries some solar cars have made for the general consumer, however, the electricity may not be completely generated in the vehicle though. They are called solar powered electric vehicles or SPEVs. These are used for short-distance jaunts like back and forth to the store or office.

More research needs to be done, but these cars do hold promise because they do not use any fossil fuels. They also take less maintenance as far as tune ups and oil changes. There are no emissions so you do not need to get that checked either. As time goes on better cars powered by solar will become available that will go longer distances.

Growing plants in a container garden is not only a great hobby, but useful for those that like growing their own food.

For anyone that does not have the time or even the space for a normal full sized garden but enjoys gardening very much, you may want to think about container gardening. This is a very good option for people who have limited space and wish to grow an assortment of different plants. Container gardens may not look the prettiest, but they are a very practical solution that many can use to their advantage. You can decide to grow some vegetables that you may wish to eat or even just plant some flowers in your container garden.

With container gardens you must first find a container to grow the plant of your choice in. You can find many decorative styled ceramic pots or nice looking containers of many kinds to grow your plants in. The size and shape of the container you wish to use is completely up to you, but anything from large cans of food to washtubs can be put to use for this purpose. Moreover, the size of the plant will also determine how large of a container you need, so if you are growing a pumpkin you will need to find a container that will fit accordingly. The larger the container you have the better, since this allows for ample root growth with the different plants you are growing in your container garden.

You can even try mixing flowers with vegetables with your container garden so it will not only be useful but very nice to look at. Plants such as squash or okra look very well by themselves, but if you are growing spinach or eggplants they may look a lot better if they are accompanied by some flowers. Other vegetables like radishes or tomatoes are also another great addition that you can add to your container garden.

With all of the different types of vegetables out there, you can make a wide variety of different arrangements with flowers and vegetables together. It can be a lot of fun for anyone with a container garden to experiment and try combining different plants in your containers. It is very likely that you will need quite a few large containers to properly supply your container garden, so remember that you do not have to buy the most expensive containers you find. In fact, it is best to look around for the cheapest large containers you can find to save yourself some money.

Most of the warm season vegetables you will probably be growing will need large containers, so look around for inexpensive large containers that can hold enough dirt to properly plant your vegetables. Growing plants in a container garden is not only a great hobby, but can come in very useful for those that like growing their own food.

Try to find a real estate agent that knows about green houses for one thing. Not all of them understand everything they should. If you can find one that has been certified by the NAR (National Association of Realtors), that would be ideal. The realtor that has gone through this certification process can acquaint you with the green features of the home along with explaining any tax credits you can get or other information you need to know in conjunction with the house.

If you can’t find a NAR realtor then you can tell if a house is totally green by looking for certification from a third party. There are several organizations out there that do this Energy Star is probably the best known one. This certification shows the house has been tested and inspected for it better using energy than other homes of its size in the same local area. The certification by Energy Star shows the house is more efficient by at minimum of 15 percent than the houses constructed using 2004 International Residential Code.

Even on an older house you can evaluate it for energy usage. You can have an energy audit done on the house for about $300 – $500. An Expert will first inspect the house and look for how efficient it is constructed as far as using energy. Then he will do the blower- door test which shows anywhere that the energy is escaping. This test shows how tightly the house is sealed when doors and windows are closed.

If the house does not test out well you know it will use too much energy and needs improvements. You may want to keep looking at houses at this point. There might be something better out there that you don’t need to do energy improvements on.

Another aspect of a green house you need to be aware of is what type of landscaping does it have? If the house has all high-maintenance plants which need constant watering the landscaping is not very eco-friendly. If instead it has plants that need water in a moderate or low amount and are disease resistant too than these are usually more eco-friendly. Xeriscaping is a great way of landscaping today which a lot of green homeowners are turning to. It takes little water to maintain the landscaping done this way.

The good thing is that green houses do not necessarily cost more today than other types of homes. It all depends on the types of features included some are the same price as traditionally-built homes. They may however, cost a bit more per square foot of house since they are usually a bit smaller in size.

The green homes use less energy which means your energy bills will be lower. This alone is a reason to consider owning one. Just do your research and make sure it is truly a green home before you purchase it.