The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence. The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable:

• The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
• Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.
• The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
• At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.

If things continue at the current trend we can expect the following:

• Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years – to 300,000 people a year.
• Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.
• Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
• Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
• The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.
• More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

You don’t have to be a die-hard environmentalist to want to green your home either. One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to reduce your dirty energy use, i.e. heating and electricity. If you’re south of the border, your energy source is probably coal. Less coal, better planet, but more importantly, more money in your pocket.

You probably already know most of these energy-saving measures, but they bear reminding, as you can cut your energy consumption by more than half with a minimal outlay of cash.

Lights: Change your incandescents with CFLs, that last longer and use less energy. Close your lights when you leave a room, or if you’re fancier, put motion detectors for travel-through areas like hallways and your garage.
Keeping your house warm: Make sure your windows are well insulated to keep out the cold. Install programmable thermostats to set a fixed temperature per room and per hour. This allows you to lower the temperature when you are away, and not pay for heating.

• Keeping your house cool: Use heavy curtains to keep out the heat during peak hot weather. Keep the AC off by cooling off your house at night, and shutting doors and windows during the day.
• Water consumption: take shorter showers, install water-efficient faucets and shower head, monitor your water consumption with a water meter
• Appliances: turn off all unneeded electronic devices (you can buy special devices to help you control vampire power) and buy energy efficient appliances. Only replace what you need.

These simple measures can save you a bundle of cash, while the following require some investment on your part, in time and money, but can truly change your cost burden.

• Solar panels: it’s now possible to get solar panels for less than $1,000 that can provide up to a quarter of your energy needs for a family of four, thanks to technological advances. Not only does this provide a free source of energy, the latest generation even provides energy in poor light conditions (rainy, cloudy…)
• Solar water heaters: you can install one on your roof for a couple thousand dollars that will provide all your hot water needs. Works best in warmer climates, of course.
• Micro-hydro: you can also install small hydroelectric turbines on a water source that will provide electricity without damaging the environment.
• Daylighting systems: bring in daylight into your home with Solatube, a great innovation for those homes with little access to natural light.
• Micro wind turbines: if you live in a non-urban area, look into the possibility of installing a micro wind turbine. The cost is prohibitive (>$5000), but usually offset by your local energy company in a cost-sharing agreement.
• Green energy grid: source your energy from a utility that buys clean energy. In a distributed grid economy, homeowners that make energy will actually be paid by their utility company!

How much money you save depends on the following:

The amount of hot water you use

• Your system’s performance
• Your geographic location and solar resource
• Available financing and incentives
• The cost of conventional fuels (natural gas, oil, and electricity)
• The cost of the fuel you use for your backup water heating system, if you have one.
• On average, if you install a solar water heater, your water heating bills should drop 50%–80%. Also, because the sun is free, you’re protected from future fuel shortages and price hikes.

If you’re building a new home or refinancing, the economics are even more attractive. Including the price of a solar water heater in a new 30-year mortgage usually amounts to between $13 and $20 per month. The federal income tax deduction for mortgage interest attributable to the solar system reduces that by about $3–$5 per month. So if your fuel savings are more than $15 per month, the solar investment is profitable immediately. On a monthly basis, you’re saving more than you’re paying.