| Ten fast and easy tips to begin enjoying a greener | | | | for the evening, and disconnect your coffee pot or |
| life style today.It is really easy to experience feelings | | | | kettle when you have finished breakfast. Appliances |
| of helplessness and frustration in the face of | | | | consume electricity even when they are switched off |
| persistent daily news articles about global warming, | | | | but remain plugged in. Television and DVD players |
| environmental contamination and waning biodiversity. | | | | also use power when they are left on 'standby.' |
| All the same, there are a number of easy steps each | | | | 6) Save your kitchen scraps for a compost heap |
| one of us us can take now, right this minute, to help | | | | rather than throwing them away in the trash. |
| reduce the damaging impact we are having upon the | | | | Anything that's not a meat, fish or dairy product, |
| Earth. | | | | which includes coffee grounds, washing lint, egg |
| Here is a list of ten things you are able to do today | | | | shells, fruit skins and vegetable peelings, can go |
| to help improve our environment and begin enjoying | | | | towards creating a healthy compost for your garden. |
| a greener life style: | | | | 7) Purchase a dryer wrack for your washing room, |
| 1) Go out and purchase energy efficient fluorescent | | | | and use it rather than your electric dryer the next |
| bulbs to replace the ordinary lights in your home. It | | | | time you do the washing. Always using an electric |
| may cost you a bit extra upfront, but energy saving | | | | dryer uses a great deal of electricity. |
| fluorescent lighting can save in both energy costs and | | | | 8) Begin the habit of shopping for two. Whenever |
| they also last much longer than everyday light bulbs. | | | | you go out for lunch, or take a trip to the store, |
| An individual 60 to 100 watt bulb will save you $40 to | | | | inquire with your colleagues or neighbors if there's |
| $45 on energy expenses during the lifespan of the | | | | anything you will be able to get for them as well. |
| bulb. | | | | They will save time and you will assist eliminate a |
| 2) Lower the heat (or do not adjust your air | | | | couple of unneeded car journeys. |
| conditioner so high). Every degree hotter you adjust | | | | 9) Undertake some home maintenance. Check your |
| your thermostat during the summertime, and every | | | | water heater to make certain it's adjusted to 120 |
| degree cooler you set it during the winter, may save | | | | degrees (a lot are adjusted higher, which uses extra |
| in both energy consumption and expenses. | | | | energy and increases the danger of scalding), clean or |
| Approximately two percent savings per degree. | | | | change the air filters in your ventilation system, and |
| 3) Make your next meal a vegetarian one. Meat | | | | hoover the cooling grid behind your refrigerator to |
| production is a resource-intensive business sector | | | | ensure it's working as efficiently as possible. |
| that consumes as much as eight times the fuel | | | | 10) Sign up to newsletters that can help keep you |
| consumption of fruit and vegetable farming. It also | | | | informed about different ways in which you are able |
| creates a lot more environmental contamination, | | | | to help save the planet day-after-day. The Union of |
| including, in the case of cattle, the greenhouse gas | | | | Concerned Scientists (ucsusa.org/) provides both an |
| methane. | | | | Action Network e-mail newsletter for worried citizens |
| 4) Find your closest farmers market, and arrange to | | | | and a Green Tips newsletter for conscientious |
| shop there the next time you require groceries. You | | | | consumers. Ideal Bite (idealbite.com) sends daily emails |
| will be able to locate the farmers markets closest to | | | | with green living tips and ideas and product reviews. |
| you by exploring the USDA internet directory at | | | | And The Green Guide (thegreenguide.com) offers |
| ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm. (Or your | | | | newsletters each week about green homes, green |
| countries equivalent by doing a web search). | | | | living and environmental health. |
| 5) Switch off your computer when you finish work | | | | |