If you're concerned about climate change and want to change to
more green living, but don't have money to waste, use these low-cost green living tips.
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Make every day Earth Day.
Green living is certainly one of the hottest trends these days, but beyond the hype -- and without
spending a lot of money on green innovations -- what can you do to reduce your carbon footprint?
You'll find five easy and inexpensive tips to help the environment -- and you can decide just how
green you want to go.
Before getting to the green living tips, let's review the concept of your carbon footprint. Everyday,
by the foods we eat, the way we get to and from work and/or the errands we run, how we heat or
cool our homes, and the appliances and electronic devices we use, we are consuming energy that
causes gas emissions that are adversely affecting our climate changes.
Your carbon footprint relates to the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases you cause through
your daily living activities. By cutting back on certain activities, you reduce the amount of gases released
into the Earth's atmosphere, thus reducing your carbon footprint.
1. Commute differently. If you drive your car to work -- especially if you drive it by
yourself -- you can make a dramatic difference in your carbon footprint by just changing your
commuting habits at least one day a week. Consider mass transportation, ride-sharing,
bicycling, or walking to get to work. You might also see if you can work from home and telecommute
to work. If you can walk or bike to work, you'll get the added benefit of not only reducing your
carbon footprint, but improving your health and fitness. Simply by changing your commuting
one day a week -- more is even better if you can -- you can reduce your carbon footprint
by as much as 20 percent.
2. Lower your energy consumption. You can easily reduce your energy consumption
by turning off unnecessary lights, electronic devices, and appliances; lowering the temperature
on your hot water heater; and reducing your heating in the winter while lowering your air
conditioning in the summer. These small gestures can make a big impact on reducing your
carbon footprint while also saving you money by dropping your monthly energy bill. Of course,
there are also many other things you can do to reduce your energy consumption in your home --
but these cost money (though you may be able to get some of it back in tax credits). See the
end of the article for more details.
3. Improve your 3 R's -- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Start by reducing all the "stuff" you
feel you need in your life. By simplifying, you'll not only reduce the waste and clutter, but feel better
about it. Reducing future purchases (buying on need rather than want) can reduce your carbon
footprint. Next, reuse as many products as possible, repurposing materials as needed, as well as
purchasing used items at garage sales and thrift shops. Reusing goods can greatly reduce your
carbon footprint, as no energy is used to harvest raw materials and/or manufacture the finished
product. Finally, participate in your community's recycling program. If yours does not have one,
help start one! Recycle as much stuff as you can -- and switch purchases to products made from
recycled materials. Consider composting all your organic food scraps. Finally, bring reusable
bags with you when shopping and avoid having your purchases put into plastic bags.
4. Consume more locally grown foods. Purchasing food from a local farm or farmer's
market provides you with the double benefits of reducing your carbon footprint while purchasing
fresher fruits and vegetables. (Sometimes as fresh as the day it was harvested.) Because locally
grown products do not need to be shipped as great distance as the foods in your local supermarket
or Wal-Mart, your purchases reduce the amount of emissions that otherwise would be used to
ship the products to other markets. When possible, walk or ride your bike to the farmer's market,
for additional reduction of your carbon footprint and increased health and fitness. Consider, too,
joining a local
Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program.
5. Buy bulk sizes rather than individual servings. There's no question about the
massive amount of waste from single-serving containers -- wraps, bottles, boxes, and the like.
Producing and using all that packaging takes a great deal of raw materials and energy. You can
reduce your carbon footprint -- and the waste that needs to go to the landfill -- by buying products
you use often in bulk. Buying bulk will also save you money, as bulk items are typically cheaper than
smaller sizes. For perishable items, buy in bulk and reuse plastic containers for freezing or
refrigerating the unused portions.
Final Thoughts on Living Green
All the tips in this article involve behaviors you can easily change with little or not impact on your
budget. Thus, you even if you are not completely sold on the idea of global climate change and the
impact from greenhouse gases caused by our gluttonous and selfish behaviors, you can make these
changes, helping the environment at no additional cost to you. There's also the added benefits of obtaining
more exercise (if you walk or bike to work) and eating a healthier diet (by consuming locally grown foods
and produce).
The average American produces more than 4 pounds of garbage a day -- all of which goes to ever-overflowing
landfills. We waste about 15-25 percent of our monthly energy consumption through inefficient appliances
and electronic devices that continue to require electricity even when turned off.
Here are a few other tips to reduce your carbon footprint. The difference is these tips involve making an
investment in decreasing your waste and energy consumption, thus reducing your carbon footprint, and
living a more green lifestyle.
Replace old incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs.
Change out your furnace and air conditioning filters regularly, as dirty filters make your unit
run much more inefficiently.
Switch out old and inefficient appliances with Energy Star models.
Purchase a solar-powered water heater.
Reduce the amount of water you use by replacing old faucets in sinks and tubs, and changing out shower heads.
Improve/replace weather-stripping, insulation, and caulking around windows and doors.
(Possibly even replace old windows with more energy-efficient ones.)
Buy a bicycle and ride it to work and on errands.
Trade in your old gas-guzzling vehicle for a hybrid or other energy-efficient car or truck.
Finally, if you're really ambitious about becoming more green and reducing your carbon footprint,
check out these additional tips:
Go Green: 10 Simple Tips to Help Save the Earth
Environmental Tips for Individuals: All Ecotips
Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming
What You Can Do to Reduce Your Impact at Home
What You Can Do to Help Fight Climate Change
Top Tips to Reduce CO2 Emissions
Interested in reprinting or republishing this article?
Please refer to our
Article Reprint Guidelines.
Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., is an avid bicyclist, adventurist, environmentalist, and student of
wellness and photography, with a mission of empowering others to lead great lives.
He is Founder and CEO of EmpoweringSites.com, a
network of empowering and transformative Websites. Dr. Hansen is also the
founder and caretaker of this site, EmpoweringRetreat.com, as well as founder of
EmpoweringAdvice.com,
MyCollegeSuccessStory.com, and
EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds
of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Dr. Hansen is also an educator, having taught
at the college level for more than 15 years. Learn more by visiting his personal Website, RandallSHansen.com or
reach him by email at CEO(at)empoweringsites.com. You can also check out
Dr. Hansen on GooglePlus.
See more environment-related sites, tools, and books in this section of EmpoweringRetreat.com:
Empowering Environmental Resources.
|
|
|
Tools to Improve Your Life
|
|
|