10 Ways to Save Energy, Water, and the Environment.

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16 Jan 2024

The culprit is carbon emission.
Our daily habits can damage or save our earth and climate. Carbon emissions are on the rise because of certain old practices emanating from energy companies and our quest for modern convenience. Do not take the title of this piece by the way it sounds, actually i have selected more than 10 ways that we can save energy, water and the environment.
photo credit: Appolinary Kalashnikova
Switch to the use of solar panels.
Switching to or alternating with solar energy can help reduce monthly budget in addition to keeping the earth safe and clean.
Get a home energy audit.
An audit on energy efficiency can impact carbon footprint by identifying energy leakages and home electronics which are not necessary in eco-friendly homes. This results in lower bills at the end of the month.
Switch from light bulbs to LEDs.
LEDs have longer life span, use lower energy and are sturdy.
Canvass for clean energy.
Ask your utility company about buying clean electricity. Suggest to them if they could switch over to green energy generation.
Maintain your HVAC filters every quarter.
Every 3 months, revamp your HVAC filter in your air conditioner through cleaning or buy a new one to avoid wasting energy which is common with clogged filters
Use a programmable thermostat.
This helps to regulate your high energy electronic when you are at work place or have traveled out of town.
Wash clothes in cold water.
Using warm water to wash implies more energy usage and higher cost at the end of the month.
Use recycled furniture at home.
Recycling your chairs, couches and beds or buying recycled furniture helps to mitigate production of new furniture which include falling trees and using carbon-emission methods. You can also buy recycled or used clothes for the more efficient, meaning they can help lower your energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Photo credit: Giorgio Trovato
Unplug electronic devices when they aren't in use.
A plugged appliance still uses energy. It’s better to remove it from the socket to preserve energy.
Manage your water at home well.
This contributes to the overall water resourcefulness of your community especially during water related calamities.
Insulate your home.
This prevent energy leakages and wastages.
Manage your lawn.
Lawn maintenance consumes much energy and water. Some lawns even require fertilizers which can pollute the lawn soil. Remove your lawn. You can also reduce the size of your lawn which equate to reduction in energy usage. Using xerophytes (plants that resist drought) can help with your lawn water management.
Do not use dryers to dry your clothes
Use the hanging in the air method to reduce carbon emission.
Recycle your waste bin
Turn your household and kitchen waste in organic manure. Utilize organic farming using the vertical methods.
Reduce meat intake to reduce methane emission.
Instead go for vegetarian, vegan or Piscean diet.
Do not waste food
Wasting food is a common trend in the developed world. Buy or cook food you can eat to avoid wasting it. This way you can be saving the planet earth.
Drink from recycled water bottle
Instead of having to buy new bottled water frequently, get a container you can recycle by washing and refill with good and safe water. You can buy organic bottled water since this material is bio-gradable and would not harm the earth.
Walk to your office or use bicycle.
Mobilize to your daily routine by pedestalling or biking for your good health and that of the earth.
Know your carbon foot print.
Through the usage of carbon footprint calculator, you can know your carbon foot print and then work out on how to reduce it to the barest minimum..
Wash your vehicle in a car wash.
To minimize sewage problem at home. Instead use a car wash to reduce water wastage at home.
Use organic shopping bags or a reusable ones.
It makes no sense to use an organic bag and yet buy products packaged in non-organic wraps.
Use electric cars and bike.
Electric cars and bikes use a clean source of energy. Unlike other fossils fuels, it does not harm the environment. Companies like Tesla are already oriented towards producing electric cars for the future.
Stop bush burning.
Fires affect the earth and contributes to climate change. Efforts should be made to restrict burning huge chunk of materials or setting fires to bushes.
Plant a tree to beautiful and sustain the earth.
Planting a tree helps combating deforestation and promotes aeration on earth. Deforestation is a serious environmental problem that not only affects human beings but also displaces animals from their natural habitat.
Create green earth awareness.
Through the use of fliers or donating books with green themes to libraries. Use digital means to also convey your message on social media handles.
Use only adequate lights during the night.
Eliminate unnecessary lights around and inside your house during the night and day. Use natural light during the day and appropriate light at night.
Read a book on climate change.
Reading books with themes of protecting the earth and climate from damage could be helpful towards knowing much more about these topics. Books like Heat: How to stop the planet from burning by George Monbiot and The sixth extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert, are good examples.
Propose and encourage penalties on companies.
A tax on companies generating massive carbon emission could force them to consider clean energy. Pressurize dirty energy companies to reverse the damage done to the earth.