Image via WikipediaFocus on reducing your energy and water consumption and your waste generation, and you’ll be on your way to reducing your footprints on the planet. Here are some tips:
1. Use fluorescent light bulbs. Yes, they’re more expensive than incandescent light bulbs, but you could save up to 30 percent on your energy bill. CFL's use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent and last 10 times longer.
2. Keep your car in excellent condition. Of course, it’s best to walk, bicycle, carpool or use mass transit for your daily commuting, but for those who must use their own vehicles, improving even the most inefficient of cars’ fuel mileage is easy as keeping your tires properly inflated and changing your oil and air filters regularly. And follow those traffic laws- your car burns less fuel when you drive slowly and obey the speed limit on highways.
3. Make sure your dishwasher and clothes washer and dryer are full before using them. These appliances consume large amounts of energy, so consume their use as much as possible by only running them with full loads. If you want to buy electronics or appliances, look for energy star label to purchase the most energy efficient models available.
4. Wash clothes in cold water and line dry. Using cold water rather than hot in the washer saves energy ad works just as well as hot with most clothes. Line drying is not only more environmentally friendly, but it also keeps clothes from shrinking and fading.
5. Shut down and unplug idle electronics. Your computer might be asleep, but if there’s light on, it’s still using energy. Turn off and unplug any electronic device that you’re not using.
6. Skip the bottled water. Sure, water is good for you, but the process of harvesting the raw materials, processing and manufacturing the petroleum-based plastic water bottles and shipping them to market is extremely energy intensive. Sp filer your own water and fill up your own reusable bottles for water on-the-go. You can use tumblers for it.
7. Supply your own bags and leftover containers. If you’re headed to a restaurant that you know serves king-sized portions, bring small piece of container along to take home the leftovers. Going to the supermarket? Bring your own canvass tote bags.
8. Buy items with less packaging, and with packaging that your community recycles. The old adage of reduce, reuse, recycle remains. We must remind ourselves that the first step is always to reduce our demand of natural resources.
9. Support local farmers. Food grown or produced halfway around the world didn’t just appear in the supermarket- it was shipped by plane, boat, truck or rail, and no matter which method of transportation it took, greenhouse gases were emitted along the way.
10. Plant a tree in your backyard. It seems simple, but just one tree can offset tons of carbon over its lifetime. If planted appropriately, it also will provide shade on a sunny day, perhaps reducing the use of energy for air-conditioning in buildings and homes.
11. Try used products first. Need a couch? Check newspaper classified or craigslist.com to see if you can find an acceptable used option before going to a showroom to buy new one, which will have required both energy and materials to make and ship.
12. Ask about green power. Many utility companies offer renewable energy options, which is power generated by wind or solar energy.
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