The American dream of owning your own home, a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage has come under fire of late. The dire economic circumstances, diminishing middle class as well as spiralling foreclosure rates threaten to undermine the lifestyle most Americans take for granted. A recent Yahoo! Real Estate poll shows that 81% of Americans are not ready to give up on that dream just yet. However, a shift in the zeitgeist to a more sustainable future is in progress. Homeowners, and those with ambitions to own a home, are opting for more sensible, greener homes that reduce their maintenance costs and impact the environment in a positive way. Now the American dream is to own a green home, have an organic chicken in every pot and an electric car in every solar powered garage.
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An energy-efficient, carbon neutral alternative

If you think pellets are only good for feeding hamsters, think again! When it comes to heating your home, consider biomass boilers as an environmentally friendly alternative. Biomass boilers provide heat that is greener, locally sourced and relatively inexpensive when compared to other more conventional heating energy sources. Biomass pellets are produced from waste wood such as sawdust, wood chips, grass and other cellulose-containing plant matter. The pellets can be easily transported, stored and used on site to generate heat for domestic, commercial or industrial applications. The carbon neutral nature of this fuel source makes it an attractive option for reducing the environmental impact of heating your home or business.
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Energy efficient lighting and incandescent bulbs

With lighting taking up an average of 30% of household utility bills, and 10-12% of national energy needs, it seems logical to move to a more energy efficient alternative to the incandescent light bulb. Energy Star appliances which use less energy have met with enormous success, so this seems like a logical step in the evolution of Edison’s invention. Think again. The phasing out of incandescent light bulbs by governments across the globe has met with opposition that is strangely emotional and very angry. People, it seems, are not ready to switch, even if it would greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save them all a bunch of money.
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