Are you green?
Nancy Russell Vice President SELECT GMAC Real Estate www.nancyarussell.com
It's funny what brings you back to a childhood memory. I heard someone ask their friend if they were green. My maiden name is McClean and my mother's maiden name is McDevitt. Yes I am 100% Irish and still have family over on the Emerald Isle. Growing up in an Irish household, the saying "Are you green?" took on a diff erent meaning than what it does today. Then the reference was to religious intolerance brought to America from Ireland; where the Greens were Roman Catholic and the Orange Order were Protestants. Today being green refers to if you are eco-friendly. Whether you believe in global warming or think it's just nonsense, there are some easy steps you can take around your house to save some money and reduce your carbon footprint.

The definition of carbon footprint is "a representation of the eff ect human activities have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide (CO2)." There is a direct relationship to the energy you use and the amount of carbon dioxide gas produced. Like most things in life, moderation is okay but high levels of CO2 have negative impact on ozone and hence our climate. Reduce your energy consumption and you directly reduce the amount of CO2.

Yes, I do believe in global warming just by the amount of pollutants we have spewed into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. And yes, I know since my husband reminds me that during the 1970s there was a scare that the planet was cooling. Even notable magazines like Newsweek were running articles on how we might melt the polar ice caps to put off the impending Ice Age. However, I think we all can agree saving energy translates into cost savings and if the byproduct of saving money is helping save the planet - we all win!

Here are just a couple of things you can do to reduce energy consumption:

Change out your incandescent bulb to fluorescent lights. A few years ago, fluorescent lights were a pure clinical white. Today you can get fluorescent lights in cool white that provide that soft light setting. Changing five lights over from incandescent will save you up to 50% a year on your lighting bill.

Install a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats allow you to automatically change the house temperature in the middle of the night or during the day when no one is home. Why heat or cool your home during the day when the kids are in school and you are at work?

Go paperless and pay bills online. I'm not quite at 100%, but I do pay a considerable amount of bills online. I remember getting my monthly cell phone bill for my husband and me. It was like carrying in a mini-phone book each month into the house. I now get bills delivered to my e-mail and pay by just a few computer key strokes. No more piles of paper, trash, envelopes and stamps!

The following are for those of you that have teenagers, as I am blessed to have three in my house. Turn the lights out! Teenagers love to leave a room with not only the lights left on, but computer, video games and TV as well. Then there is my son who comes home from football practice and drains the hot water heater by taking a 20 minute steam shower. And finally, I love it when they need an article of clothing for the Saturday night out with their friends. A single pair of jeans are washed and dried, alone, while a pile of other wash sits in the laundry basket!

There are many ways to save money, energy and reduce your carbon footprint. A great source of information can be found at http://www. energystar.gov.

Ok, the global warming debate continues. That aside there are many things you can do around your home to reduce your energy usage, hence save money. Today we need to expand what green means. Yes, it will always stand for most things Irish and money, but now it includes your consciousness associated with being eco-friendly. Are you green? Whether you are buying a home or selling a home, I can professionally service your real estate needs. Give me a call. "Whatever Nancy touches turns to SOLD." Call me at 508-753-2200 or by e-mail NRussell@SelectGMACReal- Estate.com. Visit my website for more information www. nancyarussell.com or stop by the office located at 45 S. Quinsigamond Avenue in Shrewsbury.