Now I know the whole "green" thing is oh, so trendy these days, but the truth is many of the things that have come back into "style" are things that people have always been doing in more rural areas, or things that your grandmother may have done or is still doing. Grandma knew what was up, y'all!
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Those are good suggestions. I can add that growing trees around my home has shielded it from the sun, making our utilities in the summer, lower.