Thursday, March 27, 2008

Impact Tip - Where you lay your head

With everyone talking real estate these days, I figured I would mention the many options in eco-friendly living. This is especially relevant topic to many of you deciding where you will live after the big day!

The Chicago Center for Green Technology is a living and working community and only the third building of its kind in the country to be fully dedicated to green living. They have implemented several innovative ideas to help reuse and recycle the water, sun, and energy a community needs. Check out what they have done and see what you can learn about the place you are looking to buy!

By using a green roof and water collection tanks, the building can reuse the water for watering the landscaping and reduce the amount of water the ends up in the sewer system. Water that runs off buildings and homes goes into the sewer and ultimately out into the lake. Before the water gets to the sewer, it collects pollutants like oil, gas, and garbage that it picks up from the street then carries it to the lake where the pollutants are deposited. This is so sad since our lake is one of our more beautiful attractions in the city. By implementing these ideas in your home, you can help reduce runoff to the sewers.

Solar power is a great way, although knowingly expensive, to add power to your home and have comEd paying you for electricity! Ask about them when looking for your new home.

Many people don't think about landscaping and how this can be more eco-friendly. By using native plants, you will be helping the local plants and animals by not introducing exotics into the neighborhood. Exotic plants can be detrimental to migrating species like butterflies and birds but not providing high sources of fiber and nutrition for their long journeys because these species are not adapted to their fruits, they can spread into nearby nature preserves and cause the local plants to go extinct. These plants will also save you money, since they are adapted to this climate and soil, they require less maintenance, no pesticides, and less water to keep alive.

These are just a few of the examples that you can learn from the Chicago Center for Green Tech. Happy hunting!

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