Here's My Great Green Idea!

My quest to improve our environment began three years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having no family history or lifestyle as an explanation, specialists felt it was "environmental". Having cancer opened my eyes to how we could make our world cleaner and safer for generations to come. To make one change, was not enough. Therefore, my family implemented numerous changes to our home.

We installed solar panels (Cost: $23,000), using natural energy to generate electricity. In one year, we've saved $2,000 in electric bills, plus 15,000 pounds of greenhouse gases from polluting our atmosphere!

We also cook in a solar oven using the sun's rays (Cost: $239). It cooks a delicious, hot meal for free!

We're planting a garden using organic seeds and products. (Cost: $100) All year we will be eating organically grown vegetables!

We heat our home using a pellet stove. The pellets are made from sawdust, recycling material, which would otherwise be in a landfill. The pellets burn cleaner than oil, releasing less toxins (Savings: $1,400).

My family's continued plans for "Green Is Clean", includes a solar, hot water heating system, so we are not dependent on oil, eliminating further harm to our earth.