1 . Your options for an ego - friendly home may seem somewhat limited now—solar panels, rain barrels, and maybe a small garden—but as the world of green technology advanced, there is a rise in the number of smart, ego-friendly home improvements. Some of them are available now.     1     Read on to see how you can improve your home now.

A home thermos tat (恒温器) can automatically adjust the temperature for you, making sure your house is warm when you get home and reducing energy waste during the day. For example, a thermos tat called Nest Learning Thermos tat learns your heating and cooling preference and automatically adjusts itself.     2     , without ever having to remember to adjust the I temperature.

Years ago, recycling paper and plastic was the most you could do to save resource.     3     recycling everything from Christmas lights to wine corks (瓶塞). And where do the post-recycling-process materials end up? Back in your home, in the form of recycled-paper counter tops (台面) and recycled plastic carpets, to name a few.

    4     . But if you're ready to take your heating, cooling and electricity system into the future, then you'll want to start with alternative new energy source, like solar panels or wind power. Solar panels are additions you can make to your own house, but if you don't have the time or money, you can also choose alternative energy sources through your regular supplier.

In 2009, The Wall Street Journal asked four architectural firms to imagine the future of green homes.     5     They designed what they call the “Incredible Edible House”, covered in green in the form of plants and gardens that provide food for the home owners, absorb heat to keep the interior cool, and are watered from a rooftop that catches rain.