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Studies show that Americans want to change habits that threaten the environment and the life they have come to know; they just don't know what they can do, as individuals, right now to make a difference. They need to know this:  As much as 60 percent of an individual eco-footprint results from the way we build and operate our homes.

Green homes are extremely cost-effective over the lifetime of the home's operation. While the upfront costs may be a bit higher in some cases (about 5 percent on average, though that additional cost continues to decrease), green houses are less costly to maintain, benefit from lower utility costs and greater energy independence, conserve water and protect water quality and provide better indoor air quality than houses built to conventional standards and codes.

By focusing on relatively few aspects of their consumption, everyone  can reduce overall environmental damage dramatically. We can live well while living sustainably.

In most cases, the task at hand is not to eliminate consumption (were that possible); the task is to make conscious decisions that allow everyone to receive the greatest benefit from available goods and services, and to do the least harm to the world while enjoying the benefits of progress. The following companies offer Web sites filled with great ideas and resources to transform any home into a more eco-friendly dwelling: Live Green, Live Smart LLC; U.S. Green Building Council; Neighborhood Energy Connection and the Green Institute.

Quick hits
$180 billion  or more will be spent annually for the foreseeable future remodeling existing homes -- even brand new homes. More than 40 percent of those dollars will be spent on green versions of products.

23 percent of American adults lead lifestyles of health and sustainability (LOHAS) -- consumers for whom environmental, social and healthy lifestyles play an important role in their purchasing decisions. Also, many items that were previously consumed primarily by LOHAS consumers are now becoming trends in "non-LOHAS" mainstream consumers, such as the hybrid car, which has seen a 450 percent increase among mainstream consumers.

Source: The National Marketing Institute

Peter C. Lytle is the president of BDG Partners Inc. and the executive director and founder of Live Green, Live Smart LLC, an international organization focused on environmental initiatives to design low-impact, green, sustainable and environmentally friendly housing. Under Peter's leadership, Live Green, Live Smart created one of the world's greenest homes, awarded the first LEED for Homes Platinum Certification in December of 2007 by the U.S. Green Building Council.
www.livegreenlivesmart.org

Editorial Resources

Live Green, Live Smart LLC, 1415 Wayzata Blvd., Ste. 100, Wayzata, MN 55391, (952) 473-3831, www.livegreenlivesmart.org. The Green Institute, 2801 21st Ave. S., Ste. 110, Minneapolis, MN 55407, (612) 278-7100, www.greeninstitute.org. The National Marketing Institute, 272 Ruth Road, Harleysville, PA 19438, (215) 513-7300, www.nmisolutions.com. Neighborhood Energy Connection, 624 Selby Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104, (651) 221-4462, www.thenec.org. U.S. Green Building Council, 1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Ste. 300, Washington, DC 20036, (800) 795-1747, www.usgbc.org.

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