Go Green and Get Clean!
10 Tips
to Help You Get Started
Everywhere you turn, magazine stories, television
reports and websites offer a wealth of information about the
increasingly toxic state of our environment. Harmful chemicals
can be found in our air, our water, even the food we eat, and
prolonged exposure to these substances can cause serious health
problems. By becoming more aware of how we use energy, we can
help make our planet a cleaner, greener place to live. Below
are ten tips to help you get started:
 1.
Think Globally, Buy Locally.
According to Sustainable Table (an online newsletter
dedicated to helping consumers make wise food choices), the food
we eat, on average, travels about 1,500 miles by truck, boat and
plane before reaching our supermarket shelves. In fact, about 40%
of our fruit is produced overseas, ultimately costing the United
States billions of dollars. Eating locally grown foods, by contrast,
lowers the amount of fuel that has to be burned to take food to
market.
2. Adjust Your Thermostat.
Heating and cooling your home burns electricity, the
majority of which is created by burning coal, which then releases
CO2 into the atmosphere. In addition to reducing your CO2 output,
setting your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and
a few degrees higher in the summer translates to substantial
savings on utility bills. Invest in ceiling fans for an energy-efficient
way to make temperatures more comfortable, and open doors and
windows at night to cool the house down during the warmer months.
3. Switch to Compact Fluorescent Lighting
(CFL).
Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lighting
decreases considerably your CO2 output. According to Green
Seal, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the
environment, a 100-watt bulb lit for 10 hours causes an emission
of 2.5 pounds of CO2 at the electric plant. A comparable compact
fluorescent bulb cuts that number in half (or more), since
it is up to 4 times more efficient than incandescent lighting
(and lasts 8 to 10 times longer).
4. Paint with Safer Paints.
Paints, stains and other finishes contain volatile organic chemicals,
which off-gas (release toxic fumes) into the air. Until recently,
almost all paints contained these chemicals. Because of environmental
concerns, however, many companies have now introduced low-
or zero-VOC finishes and paints.
5. Step out of the Shower.
Simply taking quicker showers can contribute to a healthier environment
and lower utility bills. On average, a five-minute shower uses
about 30 gallons of water. Depending upon the size of your
family, daily water usage from showers alone can be as high
as 200 gallons of water. Setting a timer (try five minutes
instead of 10 or 20) will remind family members to shorten
their showers and simultaneously contribute to big yearly savings.
Also consider installing a low-flow shower head to reduce
water use by as much as 50%.
6. Energy Star® Appliances.
ook for the Energy Star label when purchasing new appliances
and light bulbs. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, products that earn the Energy Star designation must meet
strict energy-efficiency criteria. These products play an important
role in reducing harmful emissions and curbing global warming.
7. Choose Environmentally-Friendly Cleaning/Personal
Care Products.
Instead of conventional cleaning supplies that are often laden
with harmful chemicals, opt for natural cleansers and personal
care products. As Seventh Generation Products, a leading supplier
of natural cleaning supplies, points out on its website, “If
every household in the U.S. replaced just one 32-oz. bottle of
solvent-based carpet cleaner with our hydrogen peroxide-based
carpet cleaner we could prevent 11 million lbs. of petroleum-based
solvents and glycol ether from entering our environment.” Firms
like Seventh Generation, Howard Naturals, Seaside Naturals and
many others offer cleaning products designed to be healthy and
safe for the air, the surfaces, the fabrics, the pets, and the
people within your home.
8. Indoor Houseplants.
Houseplants convert CO2 into oxygen while trapping and absorbing
indoor pollutants. Use at least one houseplant for every 100
square feet of indoor space for best results. Outdoors, landscape
with plants native to your local environment. Native plants
require less care, are used to the climate and require less
watering, fewer pesticides and less fertilizer. This in turn
helps reduce chemical run-off into the local water supply.
9. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
When items are recycled (broken down into basic raw materials
for conversion into new products) it saves natural resources
and energy for production. And when you repair or reuse household
items, their effectiveness is extended and you save the energy
otherwise needed to make an entirely new product.
10. Solar power.
It may not be a weekend project, but installing solar panels
is one of the best ways to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions,
save energy and save money. Many utility companies will even
buy back electricity produced by consumers that have solar
panels hooked into the electric grid.
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