Posts Tagged ‘carbon footprint’

1. Be Selective

Make sure you don’t buy anything you don’t need! Try not to fall into marketing traps that make you feel as if you have to have something. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it! One of the biggest contributors to over-consumption is our ability to persuade ourselves to buy things we don’t actually want or ever use.

2.Buy local

Help your local community go green by buying local wherever possible. Not only does this mean a lower carbon footprint but it also keeps local independent shops running, they need all the help they can get in this age of big supermarkets and online shopping. Instead of driving to the nearest Tesco, walk to your local butcher, baker or delicatessen and help keep your local shops and producers open.

3. Recycle

Don’t let anything go to waste. Find out from your local council what recycling options your community has and recycle everything you can – from cans to plastic, from paper to fabric. Get down the local bottle bank and take the plastic bags that have accumulated from years of shopping to a recycling centre.

4. Re-use

If it can be re-used then don’t throw it away! Shopping bags, newspaper, plastic bottles and fabric are all materials that can be very useful around the house. Try to get the most wear out of all your clothes and shoes and make sure nothing goes to waste.

5. Plan Ahead

If you plan your meals in advance you’re guaranteed not to over-buy on your weekly shop. Make sure you know exactly how much produce you’re going to use so you don’t end up wasting food and drink each week.

6. Cut Down

Cutting down your intake of meat can make a drastic difference to the environment. Try to eat meat just once a day (or once every two days if you can!) to lower the emissions and carbon footprint caused by your food consumption.

7. Get Creative

Don’t throw that old pair of jeans out, turn it into a denim skirt! See what you can do with all those things you normally throw away. Wine bottles make great candle holders and old dresses can often be turned into wonderful new skirts. It’s good for the planet, your wardrobe and your imagination!

8. Make a Small Change

Small changes lend themselves to big differences. Try focusing on one aspect of your life a week that can be slightly altered to help the environment. It might be switching energy companies, it might be turning off appliances at the plug, it might even be walking or cycling to work every day. Buy your next party dress from an ethical clothes supplier rather than Topshop. Take small steps one week at a time and see your carbon footprint shrink.

9. Mend

If your favourite pair of shoes are starting to look a little worn then take them to the cobblers. If your favourite top has holes in then sew them up. Make the most out of what you’ve got by mending your current clothing rather than buying replacements.

10. Search Around

Check out your local charity shops before you go on that shopping spree. Not only could it save you money, but if you search around before buying ‘that’ top you might realise you didn’t need it in the first place!

Eco Champion is the enthusiastic owner of MoreEco Ltd. The site helps the consumer find greener ways of shopping by offering cash back incentives. For more information please see http://www.moreeco.co.uk

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/top-10-tips-for-greener-consumption-in-2010-1766734.html

Technorati Tags: carbon footprint, denim skirt, drastic difference, food consumption, recycling centre

Going green doesn’t have to be a lofty endeavor. Small changes really can make a huge difference in the quality of your environment. Simple adjustments in your lifestyle will reduce the impact of your carbon footprint and also facilitate a healthier home and family circumstances.

RECYCLE. If you don’t already, start recycling! It takes minimal effort and time to separate the paper, plastic and glass from your actual garbage. Recycling is easy and you can even garner a little cash out of the deal. Save up your aluminum soda cans and turn them in for cash every few months.

SHOP GREEN. Not everything you own needs to be brand new in order to be valuable and entirely useful. Start checking out local thrift shops for used books, clothes and household items. You’ll find a more unique selection then you would at a major department store and you’ll save a significant amount of money on your purchases.

GREEN LIGHTS. I don’t actually mean green tinted lights, but I suggest replacing your burnt out light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. These bulbs are much more efficient than traditional bulbs so they will reduce your monthly electrical bill. They also last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs. Don’t forget to replace your burnt out headlights with HID headlights which last up to 4 times longer than stock headlights.

UNPLUG. Appliances and electronics that are left plugged in when they aren’t in use is a huge energy waster. Many people are unaware that turned off electronics can still be adding to their monthly electric bill. From now on, unplug them or invest in a power strip that you can turn off whenever you leave the room.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/simple-ways-to-be-more-ecofriendly-pt-1-1708615.html

Technorati Tags: aluminum soda cans, carbon footprint, compact florescent bulbs, family circumstances, garbage recycling

In the first part of this article series, you read how water can be conserved better. In this article, we will discuss energy conservation. The developed  world uses much more energy per person than the developing countries. Think of all the ways, you can conserve energy.

If you have just reached the traffic signal and the light turns red, shut off your engine. Most signals take at least 30-60 seconds before changing. You will save 10% fuel in a month in this way, thus lowering your fuel cost and intake and reduce your carbon footprint. If you have the money, switch to hybrid cars which use part-electricity and part-gas. Switch from big trucks and SUVs to smaller cars which are more fuel efficient. Fuel efficiency should be a very important factor when you choose a new car. Small cars sell most in developing countries because they are most fuel efficient.

In your home, you can do a lot to conserve energy and reduce your light bill. Turn off your lights and fans when no one is present in a room. Don’t leave all the lights on before leaving your house. Leaving one or two lights in your living room / hall will suffice to scare that robber away. Don’t leave a phone charging away all night long. Don’t leave the charger in the socket if no phone is connected to it. Similarly, when your TV is not on, don’t leave the switch on. Remove the wire from the socket because even if not on, a little electricity is consumed throughout. Leaving the heater on in sub zero conditions if you are going out for a day is better than turning it off. Because more energy will be consumed in bringing the temperature from sub zero to livable conditions. Similarly where air conditioning is required, keep the temperature on power saving mode.

The author writes text messages and advises for internet and social networking content like myspace quotes and myspace comments. He also writes quizzes on subjects like personality, etc.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/how-can-you-help-in-saving-the-earth-part-2-1579083.html

Technorati Tags: article series, carbon footprint, fuel efficiency, gas switch, small cars