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Green Buidlings



-- Quote of the Day -- 


"I think of life itself now as a wonderful play that I've written for myself, and so my purpose is to have the utmost fun playing my part."

~ Shirley MacLaine


 -- Green Buildings -- 


Did you know that the color of your building plays a role in climate change?  If you think about it, the colors black and red in particular are well known for absorbing and attracting heat - so if buildings have these colors on their roof, driveways, or siding then they will attract more heat, trapping it in the area and thereby contribute to Urban Greenhouse Effect. Where as white colors and shiny surfaces reflect heat and light, contributing to Urban Glare. And these effects play a huge role in the energy costs for your building and the comfort of the residents.

Painting those surfaces tan or light gray, or installing siding of similar colors is a simple solution.  You can choose to purchase buildings, cars, and landscape materials that have less reflective surfaces ...or replace those that already exist on the property. 

It is also important to look at multi-function uses for upcoming upgrades - such as changing over to fire resistant, long-life (35 years or more) metal roof in colors of tan or light gray, can also be useful for rain collection. Another option - paint roofs and sides of building with with tan or light gray (or other light colors - light blue, light purple, etc. ) flexible elasticized building paint not seals any gaps which prevents bugs, and reduce costs in cooling and heating the building as well. 

And don't forget about Light Pollution - outdoor lighting should be of a yellow hue; these have less glare and are less attractive to night flying insects and are less likely to attract other insects like spiders to your home.  Try installing solar lights if possible. Look for lighting fixtures with a solid umbrella like top, which reflects the light back down and reduces light pollution. Replace all your hallogen lights where you can as these are terribly inefficient and create a lot of heat, which also means they can be a fire hazard.

 Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, their radio program, blog, and more at: http://brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, clicking those social networking buttons, or visiting the Brummet's Store - and help raise funds for charity as well!


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