You may have heard your friends or co-workers talking about “going green.” Going green refers to any practices that help protect the environment. Usually green practices refer to reducing waste or conserving natural resources. Read on for some simple ways you can go green.
You don’t need to do anything complicated in order to live a greener lifestyle. Although some people invest in solar panels or energy efficient appliances, these are not the only ways to go green.
Start by tracking your energy use. Think about ways that you may be unconsciously wasting energy. For example, you may be leaving lights or television sets on when not in the room or throwing things away that could be recycled. Make a commitment to making changes to benefit the environment.
After you’ve tracked your environmental behavior for about a week, you will probably have a better idea of what you need and want to change. Sit down and write out a list of everything you would like to change. Write down any and all ideas for change that have occurred to you throughout the week.
Once you finish this list, read it over and put it in order of priority. Put the things on top that will be easiest for you to change. That way you can start small and build your way up to a totally green lifestyle.
Some simple changes that many people may consider making include:
* Switching to energy efficient lightbulbs. These bulbs last longer and use less energy when you turn on your lights.
* Turning lights off when you leave a room. Many people are in the habit of leaving lights on unnecessarily, which wastes energy.
* Planning errands so that you take the most efficient route and save gas.
* Walking, biking or using public transportation when possible in order to save gas and carbon emissions.
* Putting as many dishes into the dishwasher as possible before running it rather than running the dishwasher after every meal.
* Washing clothes in cold water rather than hot water to save energy.
* Turning the air conditioner up five degrees or the heater down five degrees to save energy.
Once you’ve started implementing ideas for saving energy, more ideas may occur to you. If so, it’s important to write them down and begin implementing them as soon as possible.
At some point, you may want to tackle some larger goals. For example, your research about going green may get you interested in solar panels or other more intricate ways of preserving the environment. If so, you’ll need to save money for these solutions. Take some of the money you are no longer spending on your electric bill and put it into savings towards energy efficient appliances or solar panels.
It’s not as difficult as you may have thought to live a greener lifestyle. Just take it one step at a time, and soon you’ll be saving more energy and money than you thought imaginable. Start small and work your way up to truly live a green lifestyle.
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