Go green to save dough, bestselling author advises
[2008-4-16]
At a time when many people feel guilty about their environmental track record, one writer is offering a positive message that comes as a cool breeze to the global warming-weary.
David Bach has a simple, unique theory: "Go Green, Live Rich."
It's the title of his new book, which offers up the idea that living an environmentally friendly lifestyle is easier -- and cheaper -- than most people think.
In fact, Bach suggests you can actually save money by saving the planet. His book offers "50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth (and Get Rich Trying)" according to the subtitle. His tips include switching to cheap and environmentally-friendly cleaning products to do-it-yourself insulation at home.
Bach tells Canada AM he first became excited by the idea after he moved into a green building in New York City.
"My health changed, radically," Bach said of making the move to the famous Solaire residential building.
"I actually became healthier. My allergies went away, and I have a little boy who is almost five and has asthma, and his asthma went away. I had this a-ha moment when I realized 'Wow I'm living in a building that is good for the environment but it's really good for my health and it's making my son healthier.'"
But the benefits weren't limited to health, he said.
"Then I had the a-ha moment with money. I started getting my bills and my electricity bill had dropped by 80 per cent over where I used to live because the building was so efficient."
That got Bach thinking that there may be financial benefits to going green.
"I started buying green-friendly products and noticing it's not any more expensive... in fact in many cases it's less expensive," he said.
As he began to do the math, Bach said it became increasingly clear there were plenty of simple ways to live green and save money.
He compiled them all in his book, under topics such as Drive Smart, Finish Rich, Green Your Real Estate Strategy and Make Green a Family Value.
Here are a few of the simple ways Bach says we "save the Earth and get rich trying":
Energy audits: Call your electricity provider and ask whether they offer a free energy audit. Many companies offer this service, and it can make a real difference.
"They come out to your home with high tech equipment like lasers, and they look to see if the energy is coming out of your windows, under your door sills. And when you seal that up, it costs you $50 to do it, you can save 30 per cent on your utility bills," Bach said.
Fix your phantom load: Canadians spend $400 million per year on excess electricity on appliances they don't use, but don't realize it, Bach said. It's known as phantom load, and can be solved easily and effectively.
"When your phone charger is plugged into the wall, even when your phone is not attached to it, it still sucks energy out of the wall. And you pay for that electricity so that's called a phantom load."
The 'Latte Factor' and reusable water containers: In the U.S. and Canada, Bach said, the coffee industry produces millions of mostly non-recyclable containers every single day.
By using a plastic travel mug we can significantly reduce our trash footprint, he added. By brewing our own fair-trade coffee at home, we can save $4 or $5 dollars a day. When it comes to water, we need to break our dependency on bottled H2O, Bach said. Municipal tap water is often just as clean and fresh - it's generally free - and it means taking a small dent out of the massive mountain of plastic bottles that end up in the trash each year in North America.
David Bach has a simple, unique theory: "Go Green, Live Rich."
It's the title of his new book, which offers up the idea that living an environmentally friendly lifestyle is easier -- and cheaper -- than most people think.
In fact, Bach suggests you can actually save money by saving the planet. His book offers "50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth (and Get Rich Trying)" according to the subtitle. His tips include switching to cheap and environmentally-friendly cleaning products to do-it-yourself insulation at home.
Bach tells Canada AM he first became excited by the idea after he moved into a green building in New York City.
"My health changed, radically," Bach said of making the move to the famous Solaire residential building.
"I actually became healthier. My allergies went away, and I have a little boy who is almost five and has asthma, and his asthma went away. I had this a-ha moment when I realized 'Wow I'm living in a building that is good for the environment but it's really good for my health and it's making my son healthier.'"
But the benefits weren't limited to health, he said.
"Then I had the a-ha moment with money. I started getting my bills and my electricity bill had dropped by 80 per cent over where I used to live because the building was so efficient."
That got Bach thinking that there may be financial benefits to going green.
"I started buying green-friendly products and noticing it's not any more expensive... in fact in many cases it's less expensive," he said.
As he began to do the math, Bach said it became increasingly clear there were plenty of simple ways to live green and save money.
He compiled them all in his book, under topics such as Drive Smart, Finish Rich, Green Your Real Estate Strategy and Make Green a Family Value.
Here are a few of the simple ways Bach says we "save the Earth and get rich trying":
Energy audits: Call your electricity provider and ask whether they offer a free energy audit. Many companies offer this service, and it can make a real difference.
"They come out to your home with high tech equipment like lasers, and they look to see if the energy is coming out of your windows, under your door sills. And when you seal that up, it costs you $50 to do it, you can save 30 per cent on your utility bills," Bach said.
Fix your phantom load: Canadians spend $400 million per year on excess electricity on appliances they don't use, but don't realize it, Bach said. It's known as phantom load, and can be solved easily and effectively.
"When your phone charger is plugged into the wall, even when your phone is not attached to it, it still sucks energy out of the wall. And you pay for that electricity so that's called a phantom load."
The 'Latte Factor' and reusable water containers: In the U.S. and Canada, Bach said, the coffee industry produces millions of mostly non-recyclable containers every single day.
By using a plastic travel mug we can significantly reduce our trash footprint, he added. By brewing our own fair-trade coffee at home, we can save $4 or $5 dollars a day. When it comes to water, we need to break our dependency on bottled H2O, Bach said. Municipal tap water is often just as clean and fresh - it's generally free - and it means taking a small dent out of the massive mountain of plastic bottles that end up in the trash each year in North America.
Related News »
In Focus »
footwear exports
Last month, European footwear manufacturers proposed extending anti-dumping measures against ..
B2B Keywords:
International market Chinese Importer Wholesale trade Wholesale products World trade Wholesale distributors International trade Foreign trade Wholesale distributor Importers Import export business Sell online Help u sell Global trade How to market a product Online supplier Wholesale product
International market Chinese Importer Wholesale trade Wholesale products World trade Wholesale distributors International trade Foreign trade Wholesale distributor Importers Import export business Sell online Help u sell Global trade How to market a product Online supplier Wholesale product
Feature Products»
Hot Products: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0-9
-
-
About Us -
Links -
Privacy Policy -
Terms of Use -
Site Map -
Contact Us -
Call Center: 0086-95105561 © 2007 Tootoo.com -
