Go Greener Tips

Our carbon footprints today will affect the lives of future generations.  As such, it is important to cut back on our carbon footprint in whatever ways possible.  You can adopt simple steps to start a life of green living with littler effort than you may think.

Energy Consumption

When and where possible, make use of solar energy to power your homes, be it in heating up your water to lighting your path.  The solar water heater and solar lights are the best examples of such a good use of the sun’s power.  You can purchase these appliances in many stores nowadays, with the assurance of easy installation. Check Lowe’s or Home Depot to get started.

You should also shift to eco-friendly and economical LED or fluorescent lights. Together with solar power, you ought to enjoy lower electricity bills, too. And do turn off the lights when nobody is in the room, this will save you money and help you go green at the same time!

Furthermore, you can lessen energy consumption in the kitchen, laundry area and bathrooms by adopting the following measures:

- Use tap water when operating the dishwasher and only do so at full loads
- Wash clothes with tap water instead of hot water.  Lessen stubborn dirt by soaking clothes for 15 minutes before washing in the appliance
- Take more cold showers instead of hot tub baths during the hot seasons.  During winter, use a programmable thermostat that will turn on the heat only when you need hot water
- Purchase appliances that have the Energy Star Label, which can lessen energy use by as much as 50 percent

Resource Conservation

In the home, water is probably the most wasted of all resources. You can reverse wasteful practices by adopting small measures like brushing your teeth with a glass of water instead of letting it run, watering the plants only when necessary, installing a water-saving device in your toilets and using high-efficiency faucet heads.

Food is another resource that lends itself well to conservation. You can cook just the right amount of food and freeze the rest for use in the future.  You can store fresh fruits and vegetables according to the best temperatures so as to prevent rotting and, hence, wastage.  You can eat all the food on your plate, pure and simple.

Recycle, Reduce and Reuse

You can lessen your carbon footprint when you know how to recycle, reduce and reuse, not to mention save a little money and even earn it, too.  When you reduce your consumption of Earth’s resources by buying less at the supermarket, you save money on unnecessary things.

When you reuse an old thing by donating it, you make somebody happy and you also reduce the trash in the landfills.  When you recycle your trash and old stuff, you can earn money from selling them.  Indeed, the saying that there is gold is trash comes true when you become more eco-friendly.

In conclusion, green living is a possibility no matter your station in life.  It will take careful thought, yes, but it will generate rewards that your children and children’s children will reap.