How would you like to own a home that backs onto a green-belt or a ravine, one that was energy efficient, healthy, and environmentally responsible?
The latest trend in buildings is referred to as sustainable development, or simply "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." It is often narrowly thought of as the relationship between development and the environment, but it encompasses many topics, such as climate change, consumption and production patterns, energy, toxic chemicals, waste management, and water.
For most of us, life in Toronto means living in a 50 to 100-year old house or in a high-rise condominium overlooking a city streetscape. We have little chance to affect the development of the neighbourhood or the infrastructure surrounding our house, but we can influence the way we live and use our homes. Most of us are trying to live as "green" as we can.
BACK TO BASICS
Our rapidly progressing, technologically-minded society has introduced us to a plethora of electronic gadgets -- all of which consume energy at a rate that could not have been imagined by our ancestors fifty years ago. However, as the blackout of 2003 reminded us, we are now so dependent on traditional energy sources that we cannot even feed or entertain outselves if the lights go out for a prolonged period.
For many years, we have known that keeping indoor plants is good for our health. While we do not condone turning our homes into a "grow house", we can nurture such plants as Boston fern, philodendron, spider plant, English ivy, goldon pothos and chrysanthemum to purify the infoor air while adding colour to our living areas.
We subscribe to the city's recycling program and use our green bins for biodegradable garbage; we turn down our thermostats in the winter and up in the summer; we conserve water during dry periods in the summer; we try to use public transit whenever possible; and instead of using plastic bags for groceries, we even bring our shopping baskets to the supermarket as our grandmothers used to do. All of this helps, but is it enough?
A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources, creates less waste, and is healthier and more confortable for the homeowners. When homes are bought and sold, the new owners often update the heating, insulation or window systems, resulting in a more energy efficient structure and contributing to the revitalization of their neighbourhood. But what about our older homes?
TIPS FOR OLDER HOMES
In 1998, Natural Resources Canada, in co-operation with CMHC, created the Office of Energy Efficiency which offers grants to consumers who improve the energy efficiency of their homes. If you are renovating, here are some ideas to consider that may make you eligible:
- Buy appliances with the EnerGuideŽ rating.
- In winter, close drapes to reduce heat loss through older windows.
- Install a programmable thermostat.
- Locate air leaks and seal them with caulking or weather-stripping.
- Add insulation to the attic and ensure proper ventilation.
- Insulate foundation walls and basement crawl spaces.
- Install weather-stripping around doors and windows, add storms, or replace older windows with high performance ones.
- Replace an old furnace with a morre energy-efficient one, and perform regular maintenance on it.
- Keep moisture away from your home by grading the exterior surfaces to slope away from the house.
Wile there are many new homes and condominiums being built to LEED standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), those of us who live in older homes can all do more to reduce, re-use and recucle the energy-consuming resources in our homes. If you are serious about the environment, you can call us for further information or the names of organizations that provide home energy assessment services.
