It’s being screamed aloud from rooftops; advertized in the newspapers; talked about on television; and discussed on radio. Models are lining up to promote the cause; celebrities are talking earnestly about the steps they are taking to leave fewer footprints behind them; and the new favorite color among most is green. And, if you’ve managed to miss the entire hullabaloo, you are deaf, dumb, blind or dead. For those who’ve just woken up to discover their ‘green’ conscience, here are ten green tips to save the planet. Go, do you bit, girl!
For those who are in the market for a new computer, you may want to skip through the desktop section and make a beeline for the one that has laptops. To begin with, they use up to 50% less energy as compared to desktops and if you buy an Energy Star rated model, the savings will be considerably more.
Not only does it save you the hassle of constantly turning the thermostat up or down, it also adjusts the air-conditioning or heat according to your lifestyle. What’s more – there’s no wastage of energy either when your house is empty.
Do you have any idea how much water American households waste because of incorrect laundry practices - enough to actually fill 7 million swimming pools every year. Think about that! Don’t wash your clothes unless you absolutely have to and when it’s time to do the laundry, always run full loads, in cold water. This way, you could save more than 3,000 gallons of water.
This is one of the most basic but extremely effective green tips to save the planet. For each minute you leave the water running you waste up to three gallons of water. Is running water music to your ears? Does it help you concentrate better when you brush or shave? No? Turn it off then!
Yup, unless you fancy the idea of chemical residue on your dishes. Plant based dishwashing agents are free of phosphates and bleach and yet quite effective at blasting through the grime, giving you spotless clean dishes. Chemical cleaning agents, on the other hand, can find their way into the water table causing extensive pollution.
Did you know that if each American home bought just one packet of recycled napkins, America would be successful in saving 1 million trees? Isn’t that absolutely phenomenal! Think how much more good you can do by switching over to recycled tissues and paper towels. And it’s such a small change that you won’t even realize you’ve made it. I’ll say this is one of my more favorite green tips to save the planet yet.
In many states of the US, you have the option of buying green energy from the local power company. To see if you qualify, visit this website - eere.energy.gov/greenpower. It might cost a few dollars more every month, but I think that’s money really well spent!
Americans use more than 3 million plastic bottles every HOUR and guess how many are recycled – just one in five! So, instead of buying bottled water each time you go out for a jog, buy a reusable bottle to carry water from home.
Stovetop kettles binge voraciously on energy while conventional electric ovens guzzle down more power than a toaster oven. Pay more attention to the appliances you are bringing home and see if you can’t pick up something that is as green as it is fancy. Now isn't that a great green tip to save the planet?
Next time you go shopping, look around for farm stands, green markets and locally grown produce in supermarkets. When you choose food grown closer to home, you conserve fuel, promote small businesses, and bring fresher produce to the table.
The modern man (and woman’s) new romance is with the planet. The call words of this generation are “eco-friendly”, “sustainable”, “reduced carbon footprints”. In times of feverish concern about the levels of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions, you don’t want to be ashamed of your efforts, do you? Use these ten green tips to save the planet and steer your life towards a more eco-friendly existence. When do you plan to start?
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