You can make cleaning your dishes more Earth-friendly by following these simple green tips.
* Run only a full load of dishes through the dishwasher.
* Use a plant-based biodegradable dishwashing detergent. My fave is Biokleen.
* Use the appropriate dishwashing setting.
* Scrap your plates, instead of rinsing them before placing them in the dishwasher.
* Run the dishwasher at night and let them air dry. They will be dry by morning.
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If possible, run your major appliances at night between 12 a.m. – 4 a. m. You can do this by setting your dishwasher for a delay start. Also, you save more energy when you run the appliances during off-peak hours.
Buying a new car can be stressful, but it can also be exciting. With nearly 6 million cars sold each year in the U.S., it’s clear that Americans aren’t afraid to spend a bit of money on a new ride.
But not every consumer has the same priorities when it comes to picking their automobile. Some might be impressed by horsepower, which might make a car like the Shelby Mustang GT (with an actual horsepower of almost 400) an attractive option. Others are more concerned with color or special features. Safety ratings are also an important factor for many Americans — and considering that 76,000 pedestrians were injured in U.S. traffic accidents in 2012, it isn’t just motorists who feel vehicle safety should be a consideration. For a specific subset of buyers, however, there’s arguably nothing more important than environmental responsibility.
If you’re in the market for a more sustainable vehicle, you certainly aren’t alone. Environmental friendliness is no longer considered to be a mere trend; it’s now an attribute that major carmakers are actively working towards. And while electric vehicles get a lot of the glory when it comes to reducing carbon emissions, these actually aren’t the only cars that can help you reduce your environmental impact. When shopping for an eco-friendly car, here are a few things to look for.
Engine or Transmission
Yes, having an electric car is going to be a more eco-friendly choice than relying on gasoline for fuel. But you might also consider a hybrid engine or a diesel engine, both of which are relatively green. Not only does diesel provide better fuel economy than gas, but diesel-fueled cars are meant to last. This means you can hang onto your car for a longer period, which will reduce your environmental impact overall. Pay attention to the transmission, as well. Although automatic transmission cars may be easier to drive at first, manual transmission vehicles often get better gas mileage. They may also require less maintenance, which can save you money. If you’ve never driven a stick-shift car before, it might be well worth learning how.
Color
Some people make vehicle purchases based on the color of the car — and that might not be as silly as you’d think! Light-colored cars are generally considered to be more energy efficient because they’re more reflective. This can keep your car cooler in the summer months without having to rely as much on air conditioning. Having a white car can make your car’s interior up to 10 degrees cooler on a hot day! In addition, the idea that white cars have to be washed more frequently is a bit of a myth. If you aren’t driving through huge puddles of mud on a regular basis, you may actually wash your car less frequently than with another color car.
Weight
A car that’s lightweight is going to be inherently more eco-friendly because it’ll have better gas mileage due to its aerodynamic nature. Large trucks tend not to have great fuel economy, but a car made with lighter weight metals will require less fuel to get from point A to point B. Not only will that help you reduce your impact, but it’ll also save you money at the gas station. You might also consider a car with a sportier suspension or with a more retro design (think newer station wagon over SUV) to reduce your impact even further.
Other Features
When buying a car for its eco-friendliness, don’t forget about the small details; they can end up making a big difference. Choosing a car that features LED lights or that has an impeccable air filtration system can actually improve your driving experience while saving you money and helping the environment. That said, you’ll want to skip any extras that add bulk or sharp edges to the car’s silhouette. Roof racks, for example, can take away from a car’s aerodynamic design and reduce its fuel efficiency. Be sure to maintain a balance between the features you want for convenience and those that might actually take away from the longevity of the vehicle.
There are a number of eco-friendly vehicles available on the market today — and not all of them are fully electric, either. When it comes time to replace your current vehicle, consider more than features that are marketed specifically for being green. Otherwise, you might miss out on the perfect car for your family that can also help you reduce your environmental impact.
Did you know that if you go vegan, you could be doing your bit to help the environment? If you have never given veganism any thought before then this guide will help you to not only make the best choices but for you to also really become more aware of how your actions affect the planet.
Combating World Hunger
A lot of food that is grown in the world is not actually eaten by humans. 70% of grain in the US is actually given to livestock. 83% of the farmland in the US is given to those who raise animals as well. Sure, meat is way more dense when compared to plants and they can provide more calories too, but this could all be changed if more land was dedicated to growing various plants. The consequences of overfishing, pollution and even deforestation also drastically limits the capacity on earth when it comes to producing food as well. If the farmland was used to try and grow crops for human consumption, then this would mean that more people could be fed, and it would not have half as much consequence for the planet.
Conserving Water
Millions of people across the world do not have access to clean water right now. So many of them struggle with water scarcity and others don’t have access because water sources are not being managed as well as they could be. The main point here is that livestock drink way more water when compared to anything else and they are also the biggest polluter of water as well. It takes 200 times more water to produce one pound of beef when compared to raising one pound of plants. For every 1kg of beef you cut down on, you would save 15,000 litres of water.
Cleaning the Soil
Livestock pollute water and they also weaken soil. This is mainly because of deforestation, where huge swaths of land are cleared to make room for the livestock. The world is losing forests equivalent to the size of Panama, every single year and this is speeding up climate change. If people went vegan, even just a few days a week then this would make a huge difference as there would be way less strain on the meat industry. Of course, making the commitment to go vegan isn’t easy and at times you may find that you struggle to find food out there when you go to restaurants or anything else of the sort, but at the end of the day, you have to remember that good things take time. If you want some good recipes, you will love this vegan oatmeal!
If you are finding it difficult to go vegan, then going vegetarian first may be a good option. When you do, you will soon find that you are able to ease into it and that you are also able to try and see if it is a good option for your lifestyle. There are plenty of groups out there that you can join as well, if you want a bit of help and support.
Did you know that Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL’s) can cut your electricity costs by 75%? CFL’s use 66% less energy and last 10x longer than incandescent bulbs? You don’t have to remove all of the bulbs throughout your home today, but once the bulbs go out, replace them with CFL’s. Want to see how much money you can save using CFL’s?
* Don’t forget to turn off the lights when you leave the room.
This year the world has fallen into a global crisis because of the pandemic. Governments around the world are working hard to save people’s lives on the one hand and save the economy on the other. In between, there is the thorny issue of climate change, which has dogged our species since the industrial revolution.
The issue of climate change has not gone away despite our other problems, and there needs to be just as much effort to reduce our carbon output this year as there ever was. The stakes are high. The rise in global temperatures is largely our fault – that is collective humanity – so it’s up to us to change our habit and prevent runaway climate change that could transform earth into a deserted Venus-like rock.
Seal Your Chimney
Having an active chimney in your home may not be the best way to reduce your carbon footprint as even burning fuel efficient logs will send extra carbon into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. However, you don’t need to abandon your open winter fire altogether, nor your shallow trench drain systems in the backyard. There’s no need to switch it off at Christmas time and forget about buying your chestnuts – you can still burn your open fire and be energy efficient.
When you’re burning the fire, the chimney evacuates the smoke; that’s unless you choose to burn smokeless logs, which are available and necessary in some places. But when the fire is not burning, the chimney flue is the same as an open window in your living room. You probably feel the draft from time to time. This open flue will also evacuate the warm air from your house. To prevent it, use a chimney seal or flue balloon to block it off.
Use Fans for Extra Heat
One of the best ways to reduce your carbon output is to improve your home’s energy efficiency. There are several ways to do this that will be explored through the article. The first trick is to use a fan. It might seem a bit backwaters to start using a fan in the middle of winter, but it can significantly improve the warmth of your rooms and efficiency of your home’s energy usage.
Because of the nature of thermodynamics, air rises when it becomes warm. This means that all the heat generated from your radiators and open fire will float up to the ceiling, where it’s of very little use to anyone. Put a fan on the ground and set it to low – you don’t want it to start cooling the room down. The fan’s convected air will help the warm air on the ceiling mix with the cold air further down create a cozy warm space.
Make the Most of Radiators
For most people, radiators are the main source of heat in the home but depending on how you use them; they can be more or less efficient. If not used correctly, radiators can cost you money and increase your carbon footprint without you realizing. One way this happens is by leaving radiators on around the house. When you switch on the heating, you don’t always consider what rooms are being heated, but doing so can save you quite a bit of energy.
Make sure all your radiators are on the most efficient settings or switched off in rooms where no one is occupying them. Next, make sure the rooms that are occupied are as well insulated as possible. Heat is lost very easily through the windows, doors, and other small cracks. Remember, the best way to reduce your carbon footprint this winter is to improve your energy efficiency – it doesn’t have to cost you much if anything to do, and it can save your significant money on your annual bills.
Insulate
It’s all about the insulation! The better you can insulate your home, the warmer you will be, the less you will pay, and the more you will reduce your carbon footprint. Your home is full of potential heat loss through the walls, the windows, the roof, the chimney, and the floor. This is partly why we need to keep heating our homes so much – particularly older ones are extremely inefficient. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t bring yours up to standard if you live in an older house.
Firstly, assess your options. Broadly there are two types of insulation you can use for your home. Cavity wall insulation and loose-fill insulation. Cavity wall is probably the best as it gets into all the little air pockets and seals them up. That’s probably the expensive option, although it will pay off over time. However, for a quick fix this winter, hang heavy curtains to block the windows and use door cushions to keep the heat in. If you do want to invest a little, double or triple glazed windows are an excellent choice.
Minimize Your Home
You might have heard of minimalism. Actually, it’s an art movement from the 20th century, but it’s found a new path in the 21st. Minimalism now is a culture of downsizing to improve efficiency and reduce carbon output, thereby helping the planet be more sustainable. This idea extends to the home, where you can utilize an excellent practice this winter to reduce your living costs and your carbon output.
This practice involves only heating and insulating the rooms that you are using. The rest can be effectively shut down for the winter. When you turn on the heat, you know that only the rooms you are living in will be heated – there will be no heat used and lost in the rest of the house. It might make it a bit chilly to go to the upstairs bathroom, but you can feel proud about how much carbon you’re saving.
So what does it mean? In short, minimizing your home is about using the space wisely. If you’re in the evening watching television, you don’t need the whole house lit up. You only need to power the living room, and maybe the kitchen. This is a very efficient energy and cost-saving practice.
