Green living are Not as complicated as you might think
- Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Most everyone in America has heard about or knows someone who is actively living the green lifestyle. This is a trend that is becoming more popular as the years go by. Why do they bother doing this? The answer is simple, conservation. People are making a whole hearted conscience effort to save water, electricity and taking that extra step further to recycle and reuse items.
It is doing simple things like filling up a ½ gallon container with water and placing it in the toilet tank to save water. Call your electric company and have them inspect your home to see how efficient your windows are and teach you how to save using electronic devices that control electric. If you take a moment, separate and recycle plastic, glass, and paper. They can be made into other things that the consumer can eventually use. Nothing is wasted and the result is less trash in the landfills.
Even the large manufactures have jumped on the band wagon to help the green effort. They make and sell products that are used specifically for conservation purposes. They make things like sprinkler heads that use less water, sprinkler system timers, and the like. For the people that like to tinker in the garden, outdoor solar lighting is a wonderful green choice and works as good as regular electrical outdoor lighting. Another interesting product would be the rain barrels that catch water so that gardeners can use the water to water their plants. Using the barrel means that you are not using drinking water. After all, rain is free.
One of the top reasons for living a greener life is for our grand children and their children. We want them to have the same resources that we are enjoying today. In order for that to become a reality, we all must do our part to conserve. Make a list of all the things you are willing to do to help the environment, and then put those words into action. Once you begin, you will find it rewarding and you will be influencing others along the way.
Small Ways to go Green
- Image by dhammza via Flickr
In a society geared towards going “green”, this task can seem very overwhelming for the average person. The best way to “go green” is to take baby steps. Don’t try to do it all at once. There are very small changes you can make in your life that can make a big difference. There are many, very easy ways you can save energy. Below are some examples you can follow:
- A laptop uses a quarter of the power used by a desk top computer. If you shut down a home computer at night versus leaving it on and in sleep mode saves you $90 a year.
- A common stove uses the most electricity when it comes to cooking options. You can use a microwave, crock pot or toaster oven to use less electricity when cooking.
- If you wash your family’s laundry in cold water versus hot you can save up to 80% of the energy used to wash the clothes in hot water.
- If you insulate your hot water heater you can keep as many as 1,000 pounds of C02 a year from entering the atmosphere contributing to global warming. Also, turn your water heater down to 120.
-Installing a programmable thermostat that allows you to turn down the heat and air conditioning when no one is home or while the family is asleep can save the average family up to $150 a year.
- One word for going green in household cleaning – vinegar! Vinegar can clean out deposits in your coffee maker. A cup of vinegar will clean your washing machine, just run through a cycle without clothes.
- An easy way to save water is to change your shower head. Older shower heads can use 3 gallons of water a minute.
- Contaminants are brought into the house by the soles of shoes. Consider becoming a shoe free household. You can leave the shoes at the door and prevent a lot of environmental pollutants from entering your home.
You can take small steps that add up to big results to become a “greener” household.