In the last decade a growing number of people have become interested in conserving energy and preserving the environment by living “green”. 在过去的十年，越来越多的人对采取绿色生活方式来节能环保产生了兴趣。

a growing number of 越来越多的。例如 : There are a growing number of countries queuing up for membership. 越来越多的国家争相成为其中的一员。be / become interested in (doing) sth. 对/变得对某事感兴趣。例如：She's not interested in these rootless rumors at all. 她对这些无中生有的谣言根本不感兴趣。

conserve 和 preserve 两个动词均表示“保护（资源、环境等）”，但前者侧重表示保留原始状态，意为“保护起来”， 而后者侧重表示采取措施加以保护、改善。例如：We must conserve the forests and woodlands for future generations. 我们必须为子孙后代保护森林资源。The ancient Egyptians knew ways to preserve dead bodies. 古埃及人懂得保存尸体的方法。

Although LED lamps initially cost more than standard incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs, these long-lasting LED lamps will eventually be worth the money because of energy saved. 尽管一开始 LED 灯比标准白炽灯和紧凑型荧光灯（节能灯）价钱都贵，但耐用的LED 灯因为节能最终是值这个钱的。

LED 是 light emitting diode（发光二极管）的缩写。long-lasting 耐用的，长期的。例如：One of the long-lasting effects of the infection is damage to the heart. 感染带来的长期后果之一是使心脏受损。

be worth (doing) … 值得（做）。例如：It might be worth taking a long hard look at your frustrations and resentments. 认真审视自己失落和不满的情绪，这可能很有必要。

Gray water systems redirect the used water from washing machines to lawns or gardens. 灰水系统把洗衣机排出的用过的水重新引到草坪或花园。

gray water 灰水, 是相对于“黑水”来说的，我们平常所说的“黑水”主要是从马桶、小便器或病房里出来的水，而“灰水”是从洗脸盆、洗衣机或地漏里出来的水。redirect 使改变用途，使改变路线。例如：Controls were used to redistribute or redirect resources. 管控措施用来重新分配资源或改变资源流向。

Building materials and embellishments like paint and carpets can “shed” chemical compounds into the atmosphere, and because a home is an enclosed space, those compounds can sometimes accumulate to dangerous levels. 建筑材料和装饰材料（如油漆、地毯）可向空气中释放化合物，由于家是一个封闭的空间，这些化合物有时可积聚到危险水平。

compound（化学成分的）化合物。例如：Organic compounds contain carbon in their molecules. 有机化合物的分子中含碳。accumulate 堆积，积累。例如：We have accumulated a great amount of evidence. 我们已经搜集了大量证据。

… you don't have to start from scratch. ……你没有必要从头做起。

from scratch 从头做起，从零开始。例如：Building a house from scratch can be both exciting and challenging. 从头开始建造一座房子既让人兴奋，又富于挑战。

Chances are your home will need improvements eventually. 你的家终究还是需要改进。

chances are (that) … 很有可能……，……的可能性很大。例如：Chances are (that) he's already heard the news. 他很有可能已经听到这个消息了。eventually 最终。例如：He will understand what you said about it eventually. 他最终会明白你就此事说过的话。