Extreme green is for the activists, protesting all over the world. Today’s generation are a new class of environmentalists who are ordinary people wanting to enjoy the best lifestyle possible without jeopardizing the sustainability of the planet.
There are thousands of things that each person can do to reduce their impact on the planet and increase the earth’s sustainability. Just by swapping to green products and modifying some simple daily habits, a more sustainable environment will be created for future generations. Here are some very easy tips that everyone can do today to contribute to a healthy future environment, without any major sacrifices to lifestyle:
Reduce Energy Use
- Turn off all electrical appliances at the power point when not in use. Stand-by power accounts for approximately 10% of household power usage according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Anything that shows a little light, or a clock such as the microwave, the DVD player, and the printer, is in stand-by mode and is using power in the hope that someone will use the appliance soon. Turn the appliance off until it is needed and save some money on the energy bill.
- Install energy-efficient compact light globes. They give the same lighting results as conventional globes, but they use less power, last longer and this too saves money and the environment.
- Use the automatic sleep mode for the computer. The screen saver does not save energy, it only prevents damage to the screen and still uses energy. Set the sleep mode for five minutes to save the computer screen and more money on energy bills.
Save the Environment from Landfill
- Drink from a reusable cup. Disposable cups created 115 million kilograms of landfill in the US in 2006 and about 500 million disposable cups are used in Australia each year according to Abigail Forsyth, co-owner of Australia’s Bluebag.
- Buy wine with a real, natural cork. Plastic stoppers go to landfill whereas cork is fully biodegradable and recyclable. Over half the world’s cork-oak forests are in Spain and Portugal where cork oak survives without chemicals, fertilizers or irrigation. Cork trees are not cut down, the outer bark is harvested and the tree regenerates itself as explained by Tanya Ha in her book “Greenilogy”, 2003.
- Buy rechargeable batteries for portable energy using devices. They are more expensive initially but they will save money in the long term and reduce the amount of environmental hazardous waste.
Reduce Water Usage to Increase the Sustainability of the Planet
- Turn down the temperature of the hot water system. Water that is any hotter than personal use temperature, approximately 50 degrees Celsius, will require cold water to be mixed for use. This will waste water and energy to heat the water and then to store it. Save money on the hot water heating bill and reduce the risk of scalding to householders by reducing the temperature to 40.5 degrees Celsius as recommended at the master plumber’s website.
Clean the Environment
- Grow some potted plants in the bedroom. Plants that clean the air include aloe vera, gerbera, chrysanthemum, rubber plants and the Boston fern. It is also a feng shui recommendation to have a plant in the bedroom to assist with sleeping.
Keep the Environment Clean
- Create a worm farm at home to compost up to one third of household waste. Build your own from recycled timber or purchase a commercial unit. Worms will reduce almost anything including newspaper, paper, cardboard, vegetable waste, dust, hair, egg shells, coffee filters, teabags, grass clippings, weeds, and dead flowers. Household waste will be reduced and a great organic soil will be available to add to those potted plants in the bedroom. The drained liquid can be used to water those plants.
These simple tips will be a start to going green without any sacrifice to lifestyle. Consider the bigger picture for a sustainable environment when making any larger purchases such as household white goods, a car or a new home. Purchasing green products will reduce energy or water usage and will ultimately save money and save the environment.
Natalie Clarke - I have studied Travel Writing and Photojournalism with the Australian College of Journalism and love to read and write. I also own and ...
