Green Housing


Yields Social and Security Benefits


n Large-home inhabitants may go all day without seeing one another and communication and togeth- erness can suffer. Family members living in small homes can more easi- ly cultivate strong communications and cohesion.


n Dense neighborhoods encourage interaction and cooperation among neighbors, nurturing a cohesive com- munity that can reward us with social connections, collective responsibility and assistance when needed.


n Urban homes give vandals and thieves fewer opportunities because neighbors are close by and passersby may be more readily noticed.


n Small homes can encourage disconnecting from technology and getting outside. When the TV can be heard throughout the house, parents are more likely to urge outdoor play- time for kids.


n The footprint of a small dwelling uses a fraction of the buildable lot, leaving more outdoor space for planting gardens that can nourish bodies and souls.


Source: GreenMatters.com


Eco-friendly choices for housing, vehicles and


food—generally perceived as expensive for the average in- dividual or family—often are not only attainable when pur- sued in a thoughtful way, but can actually save us money


compared to maintaining the status quo.


4. Buying American According to Consumer Reports, many


shoppers prefer to buy products made in the USA, but with more than 60 percent of all consumer goods now produced overseas, finding American goods is not always easy. The good news is that buying Amer-


ican doesn’t mean only buying Ameri- can made. We back the U.S. economy and jobs when we purchase used items that have been renewed or repurposed by enterprising citizens. Creative reuse supports new and existing businesses that collect, clean, sort, recondition, refurbish, remanufacture, update, refinish, reuphol- ster, repair, tailor, distribute and sell used parts, materials and finished goods. Sarah Baird, director of outreach and communications of the Center for a New American Dream, an organiza- tion working to shift consumption away from wasteful trends, loves the history of used items. She says, “An item that has already lived one life has a story to tell, and is infinitely more interesting than anything newly manufactured.” Another reward is the big savings afforded by previously owned durable goods; not even America’s big-box discount retail- ers can beat these genuine bargains. Of course, not everything is avail- able in the used marketplace, but when it makes sense, we can proudly know


18 NA Twin Cities Edition natwincities.com


that our purchases support American ingenuity and workers.


5. Getting Healthy Going green is healthy in innumerable


ways. In addition to driving less, ban- ning toxic products from our house- hold cupboards and dinner plates is another solid place to start on the road to improved well-being for ourselves and the planet. Toxic consumer products pollute the planet, from manufacture through use and disposal. They aren’t doing us any favors. The U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency reports that the average human body now contains an estimated 700 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals due to exposure to toxic consumer products and industrial chemicals. After researching proper local disposal of such hazards, replace them on future shopping forays with safer choices. It’s an investment in our health that can save untold pain and money and pay off big time in avoiding health problems ranging from cancer, asthma and chronic diseases to im- paired fertility, birth defects and learn- ing disabilities according to the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition. To reduce exposure to the toxins that are commonly sprayed on conventional crops, select sustainable and organic ver- sions of foods to prepare at home when- ever possible. Such choices help keep both our bodies and the environment healthy and can be surprisingly affordable compared with eating out and consuming prepackaged convenience foods. By substituting whole foods for prepared foods, cooking more meals at home and practicing good eating habits—like eating less meat and downsizing portions—the average person can enjoy high-quality food for $7 to $11 per day. This matches or falls below what the average American daily spends on food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Consider- ing that diet-related diseases can cost afflicted families thousands of dollars a year, better food choices can make us not only healthier, but wealthier, too.


Crissy Trask is the author of Go Green, Spend Less, Live Better. Connect at CrissyTrask.com.


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