The world is a big place with big problems. Some environmentalactivists demand we stop living our lives and look at everythingwe do as an Earth-changing event, but not everyone can focustheir entire lives around saving the planet. The truth is thatit isn't necessary to make drastic changes in one's life to makea difference. It isn't even necessary to spend more money to beenvironmentally conscious. Below are seven simple ways to make adifference in the environment, and save money doing it.
1. Buying compact fluorescent light bulbs instead ofincandescent ones. Advances in technology have led to a lightbulb that's designed to last up to 15 times the life of astandard bulb. They cost more up front, but they are replacedmuch less often, which makes them cheaper in the long run. Plus,these bulbs will use less than a third of the power ofincandescents, which will reduce electricity costs. They alsogenerate less heat, so less air-conditioning is needed in thesummer.
2. Reusing shopping bags. Every bag reused is one less bag thatneeds to be manufactured. Also, several supermarket chains havestarted giving small credits towards their customers' bills whenthey bring in old bags to reuse. Some people like to keep oldshopping bags in their trunk, just in case. Even more of animprovement would be using non-disposable canvas bags - theystill count towards the credit at the check-out, but are madefrom eco-friendly materials.
3. Carpooling. Most people associate carpooling with going towork, but there are many other opportunities to share a ride. Agreat deal of money could be saved on gasoline by one car goingto the mall rather than two. Also, with a little planning,shopping trips could be taken less frequently.
4. Turning off the water when not in use. Simple things likeusing half a sink full of water to wash dishes instead ofrunning the water can prevent waste. Turning the water off whilebrushing your teeth is also a good idea. Finally, making surefaucets aren't left dripping will make a significant differencein water bills.
5. Completely turning off electronics. A great many of today'sappliances and electronics have a standby mode. Televisions andstereos in particular tend to use a great deal of electricitywhile on standby. Plugging devices into a power strip that hasan on/off switch can give consumers more control over theirelectricity use. Particular attention should be paid to anythingwith a big transformer plug, as these devices tend to use themost power and waste the most money.
6. Turning off the air-conditioning and/or heat when leaving thehouse. A great deal of electricity is wasted cooling or heatingan empty home, which leads to bigger bills. Even setting thetemperature one or two degrees different, keeping the systemfrom activating as often, can save significant amounts of moneyeach year.
7. Turning off the lights. A good rule of thumb is, "light isuseless if there's nobody there." Turning off any ceiling fans,floor fans and lights when leaving the room saves just a littlebit of electricity, and money, every time it's done.
Of course, there are many more ways to help the environmentwhile saving money. These seven are simply among the most oftenoverlooked easy solutions. Public libraries and environmentalwebsites are great sources of further information.
About the author:Juan Anselmo Borla is a freelance writer and poet. He lives atDancing Rabbit, a sustainable ecovillage in northeast Missouri.There, he hopes to make the world a better place by using hisChemical Engineering degree to develop an alternative fuelsprogram. His fiancee and two cats hope he doesn't blow himselfup in the process.
Visit the RSS Center
Visit the AccuWeather.com RSS Center. You can find feeds for Current Conditions and Weather Forecasts for more than three million locations worldwide, and a variety of topical blogs; global warming; and entertainment news.
Additional Resources
It's Ok To Use The Free Stuff You Get In Junk Mail
By Mark Jeantheau, Fri Dec 9th
According to several pieces of junk mail the Grinning Planetoffices have received this year, we can get 37 CDs for just apenny! Fine, as long as we don't have to listen to thecomplimentary copy of Read more...
|
Additional Resources
Steel Buildings – Born From The Army Quonset Hut
By Tyson J Stevenson
Buildings that use steel components like beams, columns, and steel sheets to build structures instead of using traditional building materials like wood, concrete, bricks are known as steel buildings. Read more...
|
We strive to provide only quality articles, so if
there is a specific topic related to climate change that you would
like us to cover, please contact us at any time.
And again, thank you to those contributing daily to
our climate change website.
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
]]>
