As some of you know I've decided to go into the field of engineering in hope of finding some way to help save our dying planet. The thing is... you really don't need to go to college to help make things better for us here on planet Earth. The things we can do to help each other and ourselves during this time are quite simple. Obvious, even. Less time in the shower, more time reading by sunlight, turning off your computer when you aren't using it. The possibilities are endless!
There are many investments that you can make to turn your home into a more environmentally friendly place. However, these investments are still investments and can be very costly in the beginning. Most of us can't afford to fit our homes with solar panels or install new eco-friendly washers and dryers. What we can do is change our bad habits even a little bit to make a HUGE difference!
Here are some of the little things we can do:
- Conserve water - We can turn on the faucet and watch the water run all day long without it ever running out. Does this mean we should take 20 minute showers every day and let the sink run while we brush our teeth? No way! According to the USGS we can use up to 20 gallons of water for every ten minutes we spend in the shower! That's a lot of water. Think of how much of that could be used for drinking water if it wasn't being carelessly washed down the drain. Here is an unusual way to treat water consumption; treat the amount of water coming out of the faucet as though it's pure petroleum. Suddenly we aren't as willing to let the water run. If you like to garden, a great way to utilize rain water is to collect it in large barrels and use it to water your plants later! There are many other things we can do to conserve water. Just keep your eyes open and you will figure them out.
- Cut down on waste - Consumer waste is a huge problem. Until food companies can package all of their products in 100% compostable packaging, it'll be very hard to avoid buying things with packaging that will need to be thrown away. There are, however, guidelines that we can follow to reduce the amount of waste we produce from packaging. Disposable water bottle are, in my opinion, one of the biggest wastes of material I can think of. There are ways to get clean, tasty drinking water without having to throw away or recycle 4, 5, 6... etc. empty water bottles each day. One solution is drinking tap water. I completely sympathize with those who don't enjoy the taste of chlorinated State College water. If you can't stomach the taste of tap water, there is still hope! You can buy a refillable jug of drinking water from the grocery store. When you run out, simply take the jug back to the market and refill it! Some people argue that disposable water bottles are convenient. If you're looking for convenience at the expense of the environment, I suggest investing in a cheap refillable water bottle from the sport section of Walmart.
- Watch your electricity consumption - I know sometimes it's easy to leave the room and forget to turn the lights out. It's a bad habit that many of us have. Every once in a while when you're at home, make a sweep around the house and see if there are any lights on that really don't need to be on. Don't be stubborn about fixing someone else's mistake. If it doesn't need to be on, just turn it off! It's such a simple thing to do. "Retrofitting" your house with CFL light bulbs is a cost-effective way to lower your energy consumption. If you go to the energy conservation section of the Allegheny Power website and complete the household survey, they will send you a free box of CFL light bulbs! The survey is a bit lengthy but totally worth it. In addition to the free light bulbs they give you information on how to lower the energy consumption in your household. It's a really useful thing that's been made available to us. I strongly recommend taking advantage of this. One last thing in regards to power consumption; Turn off your computers when you are not using them! While the time it takes to boot up a computer may be frustrating at times, the amount of energy being wasted by leaving the computer run day in and day out is outrageous. An alternative to completely shutting down the computer would be putting into a low-energy state or sleep mode. By turning off one desktop computer during the night when it's not in use, you can save an average of $100 a year on your electric bill! This is an example of a very easy way to save money and the environment with little to no sacrifice to you.
- Start a small veggie garden - This is such a great thing to do if you don't mind getting your hands dirty! The satisfaction of biting into a home-grown vegetable is an incredible thing and it doesn't take much to do! A few plants can make a huge difference, not to mention the immune boost you get from playing in the dirt! Even if you don't have land to grown on, it is possible, but slightly more difficult, to grow your own crops indoors (as I demonstrated in a previous post.) Heck. If you feel daring enough you can make your own compost from lawn clippings and table scraps! Don't be afraid to run full circle with this one! This is a great example of sustainability at it's best. If you need help getting started, don't be afraid to ask someone who has had experience with this! The best tips come from people who have had hands on experience.
One of my goals is to inspire people. I want other people to feel what I feel in regards to our planet and the environment that we create and live in. If anyone has questions or suggestions of their own, please share!
Best wishes to you all,
Chris
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