Earth Day tips: How to go green without going broke

Jennifer Armentrout is a committed environmentalist and a mother of four children who is so afraid for the future of the planet and concerned about the quality of life in her city that she has formed her own group, Sustainable Living in Houston, to champion her causes.

Armentrout feels the need, especially on Earth Day today, to be green, to do her part to shrink her carbon footprint. But like many others, she finds it easier said than done.

Economics force her to live in the suburbs where she can afford a house for six. Her husband commutes 35 miles round-trip. She drives an SUV to shuttle the kids. She wants an on-demand water heater, but it's expensive. And even if they had the money for solar panels, the homeowners association doesn't allow them.

So, what can the average green Joe or Josie, the ones who are lead to believe shrinking the footprint is their responsibility, realistically do?

Change their light bulbs.

Recycle.

Slow down.

"If we drive like a granny, basically, we can get 400 miles out of a tank of gas, instead of 300 miles," said Armentrout, who recently learned the value of easing off the accelerator. Her husband now goes at least a week between fill-ups of his Pontiac Vibe.

The family also composts. The children carry their lunches in organic cotton bags, reusable sandwich wraps and stainless steel bottles. Armentrout uses vinegar to clean around the house. She buys organic meats, fruits, vegetables and personal hygiene products; she avoids plastics and heavy packaging.

"If I recognize the ingredients (on a shampoo bottle or toothpaste tube), then I'm more likely to buy it," she said. "But it's more expensive."

Weekly grocery trips now cost as much as $300.

What's more, the children's bottles cost $15 each. The washable wraps cost $5 each. But Armentrout said the expenses can be made up over time.

To do more, however, would be difficult. On-demand water heaters cost roughly $1,500, and solar panels go for considerably more.

Saving energy

LaVerne Williams, a noted Houston architect, designs environmentally friendly houses. There are some practical things people can do, but he acknowledged the expense of going green.

For example, Williams recently designed the first house in Austin to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for about $150 a square foot of covered space.

The house covers about 5,300 square feet, including roughly 2,300 square feet of roofed porches, walkways and outside work and storage areas. The roof is made of metal, which allows the homeowners to harvest rainwater for indoor and outdoor use. The house also has 16 solar panels.

The utility bill: $17 a month. The cost of the house: about $800,000.

For existing homes, Williams advises people to focus on eliminating energy waste before adding solar panels. They should seal air leaks inside and add ivy-covered trestles outside to create shade for the house.

"You need to look beyond the moment," he said. "How much do you want to reduce the burden on future generations? Practical is where people should start, but they need to go beyond practical. They have to be willing to sacrifice."

Still, the dollars are daunting for many, Armentrout said.

"So many think they need to do everything or nothing at all," she said. "But that doesn't make sense. Every little thing you do can help."

Recycling and light bulbs

Armentrout often tells neighbors that if every household in the northwest suburb of Cy-Fair recycled one trash bag, or roughly 15 pounds, for one week, the amount of trash would be reduced by roughly 1,800 tons.

Her family now is down to one bag of trash a week, she said.

Other simple acts, such as changing incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs and using double-pane windows, allow people to reduce energy use without changing their lifestyles, said Ramon Alvarez, an Austin-based scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund.

"Individually, we're talking small changes," he said. "But when you're talking about millions of homes, it really adds up. In Texas, if we used energy more efficiently, we could essentially eliminate the need for new power plants altogether."

matthew.tresaugue@chron.com