LEED

After redesigning the school following LEED's standards, I want to re-build my house so it is more energy effecient too. The first thing that almost every house needs are windows. My living room, master bed room, and dining room have big window, but the rest of the rooms in the house have very few and very small window. Allowing more sunlight into the house will definitely decrease the electricity bill. Even if I can not re-build my house now, I should just move my desk (where I study) closer to a window so I don't have to turn on the lights during the day. Also turning my piano around (so I can read my music without the lights on during the day) will help. My physics teacher talked about this special kind of window that work based on some electric field principle (Sadie, Kelsey, Clint, Codrin, etc. help me out with exactly how it works please!! I forgot.). It's very cool even though I'm not sure if it's cost effective to "opperate" the window, changing from transparent to blocking light.
I also want to improve insulation at my house. I have an attic connected to my room. In the winter, cold wind blows in around the edges of the door (because there's this screened "window" that can not be closed).
The Basement, where my mom likes to hangout, is very cold and dark in the winter. One side of the basement can be opened (meaning not underground). So more windows there will help too.
Also installing solar panels for electricity and collecting rain water can decrease my footprint. I can put so lines up on the deck so I can hang my cloth there to dry in the summer at least. Planting fruits and vegetables is good too. especially the Chinese vegetables that are hard to find in American super markets (even though Chinese plants are probably invasive species that might not be good for the environment if planted on a large scale?). Along with the garden, I need a compost to reduce my household's space in the landfilled.
There are many things I can do without tearing down my house......but I don't do them. I guess knowing what to do and doing it are completely different. Well, according to Socrates "to know the good is to do the good." :)