Life Style Denver by Gretchen Faber

Who Cares About the Earth?

I just want my lifestyle…

Actions speak louder than words. I drive an SUV and live in a leaky 1938 brick Tudor. Sometimes I even take a long shower and turn up the heat. I piss myself off when I think about this because I also diligently recycle, carry my canvas shopping bags into the store whenever I think about it, and buy energy efficient light bulbs.

More and more often, clients are asking me about energy efficient homes, options for remodeling and how to get to Whole Foods in Cherry Creek. There seems to be a re-surging interest in natural foods, natural building products and how each of us can begin to make a difference, despite our individual lifestyles. Some of us will do more than others, but each of us can make an incremental difference.

50 Simple Things…

Remember the book 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth? It hit the bookstores in 1989 and was all the rage for awhile. I bought it and tried to make a concerted effort to adopt many of the suggestions. You can still find the book at Amazon.com and in some bookstores. These days there are also terrific resources on the internet and through your real estate broker or builder. We’ll need more than 50 simple things, but you gotta start somewhere.

Build Green Resources

Building and buying a built-green house is much easier today than it used to be. There are lists describing what qualifies a house as green, and even if the house isn’t officially “green” there are many components that builders are incorporating for energy efficiency that make living more comfortable and more earth friendly. At Colorado New Home Choices, you can find a list of questions to ask a builder when considering whether the home is a high-performing home.

You can also find similar lists as you work toward retrofitting an older home for energy efficiency. Simple things like switching light bulbs and more expensive ones like replacing single pane windows will prove worthwhile in the long run. My carbon footprint is definitely larger than it should be, but I’m trying to kick the oil habit and conserve water ~ you can do it too!

Rebates and Funding Opportunities

Our lovely state of Colorado offers rebates and funding opportunities through the Governor’s Energy Office. If you live out-of-state, check with your local government to see what they have to offer. This green feeling is even extending down to the micro level – where grass roots take over. My company, The Kentwood Company, was just highlighted in The Denver Post regarding our newly announced green campaign.

You don’t have to be an elf or a leprechaun to be green. Go for it!

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 12th, 2008 at 10:55 am and is filed under Market Trends, Real Estate News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1. Fred said at April 12th, 2008 at 8:43 pm

   Check out this US Carbon Footprint Map, an interactive United States Carbon Footprint Map, illustrating Greenest States to Cities. This site has all sorts of stats on individual State & City energy consumptions, demographics and much more down to your local US City level…

   http://www.eredux.com/states/

2. Gretchen said at April 12th, 2008 at 8:53 pm

   Thanks Fred,
   I checked out your site and it’s fascinating information. I like how the data is posted in easy to read graphics. I even entered my zip code and saw the demographics. A great resource.
   GF

3. Vali Wimberly said at April 14th, 2008 at 9:08 am

   You are right — the Good of green living and older homes do not go hand in hand. You really have to take a different strategy when living and remodeling an older home. Dual-flush toilets & thermal-colored roofing & exterior paint are two things on our summer remodeling agenda for our 1950′s California contemporary. A couple ideas I picked up while touring some of Denver’s newest green condo projects. I was surprised that the cost difference is minimal and product quality is the same (if not better) than traditional options.

   Vali Wimberly’s last blog post..Denver real estate quickie. March 2008

4. Dawn - Pasadena Note Queen said at April 14th, 2008 at 4:31 pm

   This is really inspiring. Your company is very progressive. I absolutely can’t wait to go solar and get off the grid (my fervor partly stimulated by the duncery of the local electrical monopoly). Also, when our lease was up last February, we decided to buy a ’85 Mercedes Benz 300D so we could use biofuel and diesel interchangeably, obviously with the intent to quit buying gasoline altogether. We’ve already got a couple of local restaurants to save us their cooking oil. It’s quite the adventure and one that feels really good to be taking. Thanks for the reminder to find more ways to live green.

   Dawn – Pasadena Note Queen’s last blog post..The Banks Don’t Care About Losses – We?re Bailing Them Out!

5. Gretchen said at April 15th, 2008 at 8:04 pm

   Vali- Great ideas. We’re just getting underway for a major remodel ourselves, and I’m really interested to see what our options are. I didn’t know about the thermal-colored roofing. Thanks!

   Dawn- Great to see you visiting Denver. You sound way more progressive that I am (or most of the people I know). Is that because you’re in California? What do you do with that used cooking oil? Does the Benz actually run on that?

   GF

6. Zytech Rayvin Solar Thermal said at November 9th, 2009 at 11:31 pm

   WOW..It’s Great. BTY.
   we specializes in the development, production and marketing of high thermal solar energy systems and solar thermal system.

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