Benefits of Going Green

Source: GoGreen.org

The GoGreen lifestyle has hundreds of benefits for the environment, but how does it benefit the individual? What kinds of individual and family benefits are available from going green and how quickly will you begin to see those benefits? Those are the questions that GoGreen strives to answer for each of its readers. With the many benefits of going green, there are ways that families and individuals can begin seeing lasting and impacting changes immediately.

From the smallest of steps like changing the way you clean your house to the largest of changes like switching to solar power in your home, you can begin to see the difference that the go green lifestyle can bring. Within our articles find out how going green can benefit you financially and environmentally. Read articles covering the basics of the Go Green lifestyle and how to implement it into your daily life. Find out how going green can benefit you and the people around you.

The Future with Hybrid Cars
Hybrid vehicles use two or more distinct power sources to move. For example, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) combines electric motors with internal combustion engines. Today, cars account for many of the air pollutants. In fact, studies show that your highest daily exposure to air pollutants is during your commute to work, when you drive behind the car emissions in front of you. A brighter future includes sustainable energy, including cars that do not depend on fossil fuels. Vehicles on the road account for more than 25 percent of all air pollution nationwide. This number would be cut dramatically if just one person a day opted for a hybrid vehicle over a fossil fuel engine car. In many cities, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter since emissions from millions of vehicles on the road continue to increase. Driving a private car is probably the way that many humans commit pollutant acts every day. Hybrid cars are more fuel efficient and sustainable. From hybrid electric-petroleum vehicles to fluid power hybrids, these cars produce nearly zero to no emissions. There are hybrid cars like the Chevrolet Volt that have zero emissions. US commuters would 600,000 gallons of gas every day just by choosing a hybrid vehicle. There are also new fuel systems being developed every day, from vegetable oil to wood gas, these fuels are more efficient and still allow for the same driving capacity that a normal engine delivers. Diesel is another green fuel that many people have changed to in order to transition their cars to a greener future.

How Solar Energy Pays You Back

Going green is a way to change the future. Even if you are skeptical, everyone likes to save money, but with solar power, you can even make money back. Through a power exchange program in many states, you can sell energy to power companies while also not having an electric bill, saving you thousands per year on utilities. If you choose to lease a solar power program, you can put as little as nothing down. You start saving with your first electric bill, so that solar panels start off with a positive cash flow to your bank account within the first year. If you own your solar panels, you can pay for your next 20 or more years of electric bills in just one lump payment for the installation, and then start earning money back. The upfront payments actually create a double digit return on investment. Not only that, but an average size system can generate over $40,000 in energy savings over 20 years. Since you no longer have to pay for electricity, you save thousands per year. As electricity rates increase every year, you actually save more money by installing solar panels. States have also created tax incentives for individuals and businesses who install solar panels for their homes and companies. You could be saving 30 percent in taxes simply by installing solar panels. If you go online to Wholesale Solar, you can look up your credits and incentives by state. As mentioned before, if you keep an accurate measure of your energy, you can sell your energy to power companies. Recently, the New York Times suggested that photovoltaic systems have risen up to 50% annual. Excess sustainable energy can be sold back to the power grid, required by federal law in most states. While the cost can be very high to install a solar panel system, it’s an investment that will continually pay back the environment and your bank account for you and future generations.

Top Reasons People Chose Green
If you have been recycling, then you know you are making a positive change for the environment. Many families are still holding back choosing not to recycle, though the evidence is clear that recycling helps the environment and promotes sustainability. Numbers show that 40 percent of our municipal solid waste stream is paper waste, and yet less than 13 of our paper is manufactured from recycled sources. In the U.S. alone, 99 percent of the virgin fiber used for paper manufacturing comes from trees. You can help the environment simply by setting up a recycling bin in your home. You can recycle paper, aluminum cans and plastic. If you recycle just one ton of new paper, you can save 17 mature pulp producing trees, 78.75 gallons of oil, 7,000 gallons of water and 41,000 Kilowatt hours of energy. Air pollution is also reduced by 60 pounds and 3 cubic yards of landfill space are conserved if you made 5 fewer copies a day. You could also save 1.4 million trees. It’s a fact that paper fibers can be recycled about six seven times before they begin to disintegrate, so every time you use a sheet of paper, you should think about ways to improve your conservation efforts. You can print on both sides of the paper reuse for crafts. Much of the aluminum cans in the U.S. are recycled. Americans save more resources per year simply by recycling aluminum. However, paper and plastic products are still behind. If others choose to recycle, then we could save even more resources and promote a green society.