Make It Green has sponsored all recycling bins for one year at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo center. Recycling is new to this public center and we are proud to support an environmentally responsible program.
Why should we recycle?
•Recycling Saves Energy in Oregon
When new products are manufactured from the raw material obtained from recycled products, it saves a lot of energy which is consumed for the production. When new products are manufactured from ‘virgin materials’, the amount of energy consumed is much higher. Besides, the energy required to acquire and transport the ‘virgin’ raw materials from their origins or natural sources is also saved. Add to that the energy which is required to clean and protect the environment from the pollutant waste products, especially those which are non-biodegradable (plastic) and fill up the landfill areas.
•Recycling Saves Environmental Conditions and Reduces Pollution
Recycling helps in preventing global climate change to a great extent. By minimizing the energy spent on industrial production, recycling also helps in reducing greenhouse gas emission. Some of the major fossil fuels used in most industries include coal, diesel, gasoline etc. All these emit harmful gases such as methane, sulfur dioxide, carbon-dioxide to the environment. The processing of fresh raw material also creates toxic materials which pollute the environment. By reducing the energy used, recycling also minimizes the amount of fuel usage which in turn reduces the amount of harmful pollutants in the environment.
•Recycling Saves Natural Resources in Oregon
We know that recycling involves the processing and usage of the core elements of an old product for the production of new products. This helps in saving our natural resources to a great extent. For example, once an old newspaper is recycled we do not need to use the resource of another tree to produce new paper products. This way, proper recycling can help us preserve our natural resources for our future generations and maintain the balance of the nature.
•Economic Benefits
Similar to energy and natural resource, recycling also helps in saving a lot of expense, demanded for the production of new products from ‘virgin’ materials. These expenses include the entire production cycle starting from acquiring the raw materials, transferring them from their origin to production places, processing and manufacturing costs.
Recycling process creates employment opportunities for a lot of people, involved in the various stages of the process. This in turn contributes to the economic development of the state or country.
•Recycling Saves Space for Waste Disposal in Oregon
Most of the landfill sites are filled up with a lot of waste products that could have been recycled effectively. Some of these waste materials belong to non-biodegradable category which takes a long time to decompose. Recycling enables proper usage of these waste products and saves space for landfills. The pace with which landfills are getting filled up, soon we might run short of landfills unless we start following recycling at our own home and spread the word to others.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
See What People Are Saying About Make It Green!
Here are just a few testimonials from happy customers of building green services from Make It Green,
“Being I have an older home, I found the comfort level was much increased after Make it Green was done... It is a much more desirable place to live. John’s work was excellent ... What I liked was the initial assessment but best was that Make It Green had quotes to do the actual suggestions on the report.”
– Paul Israel, President of Sunlight Solar
“Our whole experience with Make it Green has made a dramatic improvement on our home life. John helped make our house more comfortable. Before, it was always drafty and had an insufficient heating system that was costly on our utility bills. Since Make it Green’s improvements we have seen nearly a 40 % reduction in our energy costs with a significant improvement in our air quality. Throughout the process John was timely, gracious and very respectful to us and our home. He listened well and explained details in a very professional and experienced manor. We will always use Make it Green and recommend them to all our friends and family. Thank you for making our home our favorite place to be!”
-Kristen Raschella and Gavin McMichael
Don't let your home waste energy and help degrade the environment! Get an energy audit from Make It Green today!
Make It Green and Umpqua Bank
MIG is the local business spotlight at Umpqua Bank in Bend this month. We are grateful for being supported by Umpqua bank and help promote their Green Street lending program designed specifically for energy efficiency improvements for buildings. Please visit the Century Drive location to support both businesses and pick up some important promotional materials.
The Green Street Lending Program says this, "As energy costs rise and concern about the environment grows, it’s more important than ever to make smart choices about energy use. That’s why Umpqua Bank and Energy Trust of Oregon have joined forces to create GreenStreet Lending — an innovative alliance designed to help homeowners and small business owners access affordable financing to change the way they use energy."
Make It Green is Committed to building green for the future of America. They are committed to living green and enjoying a lifestyle that is both functional and ecofriendly. Supporting the environment while maintaining a comfortable standard of living is something that Make It Green strives for throughout all of their business services. If you are looking to make your home more energy efficient choose Make It Green!
The Green Street Lending Program says this, "As energy costs rise and concern about the environment grows, it’s more important than ever to make smart choices about energy use. That’s why Umpqua Bank and Energy Trust of Oregon have joined forces to create GreenStreet Lending — an innovative alliance designed to help homeowners and small business owners access affordable financing to change the way they use energy."
Make It Green is Committed to building green for the future of America. They are committed to living green and enjoying a lifestyle that is both functional and ecofriendly. Supporting the environment while maintaining a comfortable standard of living is something that Make It Green strives for throughout all of their business services. If you are looking to make your home more energy efficient choose Make It Green!
Building Green Council – Make It Green new members!
We now are committee members of the BGC whose mission is “To make green building the norm for residential and commercial construction in Central Oregon”. Currently, MIG is actively involved in setting up the Green Pathways Public Educational series, as well as other philanthropic projects pertaining to BGC.
This is what the U.S. Green Building Council is all About,
" The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501 c3 non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings..
With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 140,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs."
While Make It Green is joining this foundation it demonstrates their committment to green building in Bend Oregon! Building green for the future of America is something that Make It Green is completely committed to and is wholly integrated into their business functions! Choose Make It Green to make your home "green" again!
This is what the U.S. Green Building Council is all About,
" The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501 c3 non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings..
With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 140,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs."
While Make It Green is joining this foundation it demonstrates their committment to green building in Bend Oregon! Building green for the future of America is something that Make It Green is completely committed to and is wholly integrated into their business functions! Choose Make It Green to make your home "green" again!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Financial and Environmental Benefits of Going Green
As we have been preparing for the new school year, we’ve been looking backwards as well as forward and reviewing our progress over the year to date. We have our green goals and have been tracking our progress on them but it struck me that the benefits of going green have gone far beyond meeting those goals. Here are the main benefits of going green we have experienced:
(1) Financial Benefits of Going Green
I’ve mentioned before that we started down the green path to save money and boy, has that worked for us! On our new site, Family Profits, you can read about how we have paid off more than $80,000 in credit card debt and the majority of our $100,000+ student loan debt, all while working in the nonprofit sector. By taking to heart the green mantra of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and paying particular attention to the order of those three R’s, we were able to focus our salaries on paying off debt rather than making another run to the mall.
While companies and advertisers want you to think that going green is expensive, the fact is that reducing consumption is the greenest thing you can do. Using less energy, less gasoline, and less stuff is much more green than any eco-friendly product.
(2) Environmental Benefits of Going Green
While it is clear that there are wide-spread environmental benefits to going green, what we has surprised us is how quickly our immediate environment improved. Several years ago we moved into our current home. Based on the items left in our shed and garage, the former owners used several pesticides and herbicides on the yard. We haven’t used any (there are those financial benefits again!) and the amount of wildlife in our yard has grown incredibly. We’ve gone from only seeing a few birds to seeing lots of birds, possums, tarantulas, lizards, snakes, squirrels, and hummingbirds.
Along the way we’ve added native plants to portions of the yard and those have attracted monarch butterflies, hummingbird moths, red wasps, garden spiders, ladybugs, and some bees (though we hope to see more bees in the future).
In just four years, this property has shifted from a fairly lifeless zone to one that is much more biologically diverse. Most of that shift occurred because we simply left the land alone and didn’t poison it. We marvel when we think of how much it could have changed if we had known more when we moved in four years ago.
(1) Financial Benefits of Going Green
I’ve mentioned before that we started down the green path to save money and boy, has that worked for us! On our new site, Family Profits, you can read about how we have paid off more than $80,000 in credit card debt and the majority of our $100,000+ student loan debt, all while working in the nonprofit sector. By taking to heart the green mantra of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and paying particular attention to the order of those three R’s, we were able to focus our salaries on paying off debt rather than making another run to the mall.
While companies and advertisers want you to think that going green is expensive, the fact is that reducing consumption is the greenest thing you can do. Using less energy, less gasoline, and less stuff is much more green than any eco-friendly product.
(2) Environmental Benefits of Going Green
While it is clear that there are wide-spread environmental benefits to going green, what we has surprised us is how quickly our immediate environment improved. Several years ago we moved into our current home. Based on the items left in our shed and garage, the former owners used several pesticides and herbicides on the yard. We haven’t used any (there are those financial benefits again!) and the amount of wildlife in our yard has grown incredibly. We’ve gone from only seeing a few birds to seeing lots of birds, possums, tarantulas, lizards, snakes, squirrels, and hummingbirds.
Along the way we’ve added native plants to portions of the yard and those have attracted monarch butterflies, hummingbird moths, red wasps, garden spiders, ladybugs, and some bees (though we hope to see more bees in the future).
In just four years, this property has shifted from a fairly lifeless zone to one that is much more biologically diverse. Most of that shift occurred because we simply left the land alone and didn’t poison it. We marvel when we think of how much it could have changed if we had known more when we moved in four years ago.
Benefits of Going Green
Building the Green Communities way offers a wide array of benefits for building developers, investors, residents and the environment, leading to healthier homes and communities, lower energy and water costs, and a protected environment.
Healthier Homes and Communities
Housing conditions are important factors influencing health. Green design and building practices can create healthier home environments through better indoor air quality and healthier building materials.
Lower Energy and Water Costs
Buildings are better performing, cutting utility costs for owners, residents and building managers.
A Stronger Environment
How and where we build has a huge environmental impact. Buildings account for 38 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions, 30 percent of both raw materials waste and landfill waste and 12 percent of potable water consumption. Environmentally responsible site planning and development, along with energy- and water-efficient buildings can make a positive contribution to environmental protection,
More Sustainable Cities for Our Future
Mayors around the country are advancing bold visions for making their cities more environmentally sustainable through strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, manage water and energy resources and create more livable communities. Ensuring new and existing buildings – for all residents – are healthy and efficient should be a key strategy for any green city. Benefits of Going Green:
•For developers and owners developers and owners gain a competitive edge in a marketplace that is increasingly demanding healthier, higher-performance affordable housing.
•For investors and lenders investors and lenders reap the good will and positive public relations of association with a movement universally perceived as right for the times.
•For residents housing conditions have long been seen as important factors influencing health. Green design and building practices can create healthier home environments through better indoor air quality and healthier building materials.
•For the Environment green housing reduces development impact on the environment and increases sustainability in housing.
Healthier Homes and Communities
Housing conditions are important factors influencing health. Green design and building practices can create healthier home environments through better indoor air quality and healthier building materials.
Lower Energy and Water Costs
Buildings are better performing, cutting utility costs for owners, residents and building managers.
A Stronger Environment
How and where we build has a huge environmental impact. Buildings account for 38 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions, 30 percent of both raw materials waste and landfill waste and 12 percent of potable water consumption. Environmentally responsible site planning and development, along with energy- and water-efficient buildings can make a positive contribution to environmental protection,
More Sustainable Cities for Our Future
Mayors around the country are advancing bold visions for making their cities more environmentally sustainable through strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, manage water and energy resources and create more livable communities. Ensuring new and existing buildings – for all residents – are healthy and efficient should be a key strategy for any green city. Benefits of Going Green:
•For developers and owners developers and owners gain a competitive edge in a marketplace that is increasingly demanding healthier, higher-performance affordable housing.
•For investors and lenders investors and lenders reap the good will and positive public relations of association with a movement universally perceived as right for the times.
•For residents housing conditions have long been seen as important factors influencing health. Green design and building practices can create healthier home environments through better indoor air quality and healthier building materials.
•For the Environment green housing reduces development impact on the environment and increases sustainability in housing.
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