It’s not just the in thing to do these days, it’s also one way of doing your bit to save the
environment from all the changes that it is going through because of the way we abuse energy and our
natural resources.
While going entirely green in the way we live is not possible, there are many things
that we can do to prevent causing even more damage to the earth and its environment. You could start
with your home and adopt these easy methods to “go green”:
Reduce your use of energy:
To do this, all you have to do is replace your
incandescent lights with compact florescent lights, replace your old appliances with those that
are branded with the Energy Star label and that use the minimum energy, invest in a
solar water
heater and other renewable and sustainable forms of energy, and switch off all lights and other
electrical appliances when they are not in use. Even chargers that are left on drain away more
electricity than you would imagine. Shut down your computer instead of letting it hibernate
through the night, and use natural lighting and ways to cool and heat your home instead of relying
on electricity to do so.
Reduce your use of water: More than reducing water usage, we need to minimize
its wastage. Water is wasted through taps and faucets left running as we do other work, through
dripping taps and flushes that are not closed properly or that leak because of inefficient
plumbing,
and people callously pouring water down the drain like it was an infinite resource. Use shower heads
that save water and don’t turn your faucets fully on. Water is precious, and the sooner we
understand this, the cleaner and safer our world will be.
Don’t use scarce resources for your furnishing and furniture: Yes, wood
does look good, but the more trees you cut, the less rainfall our planet gets. And when there is
no rain, that is the end of life as we know it. Use look-alike substitutes or material that is
harvested through sustainable methods. Minimize your use of paper; say no to your daily newspaper
and read the news online instead. Wasting paper is the same as cutting down trees indiscriminately.
Avoid plastic: Plastic causes immense damage to the environment because it
is not degradable. So avoid using it at all costs. Also, when you have to dispose of your old and
unwanted electronic gadgets because they no longer work, remember to do so responsibly instead of
filling dumpsters with them.
It does take a little effort from you, but the rewards you reap are great when you try to live a
greener life.
