Whether you believe in climate change or not it is always a great idea to try to minimize your impact on the environment, especially your local environment where you and your children live, work and play every day.
The difficult part is figuring out what you can do on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to help with green initiatives.
Here are some simple ideas that can help you get started on your green journey.
Fuel Efficient
This may not be something that you can accomplish immediately but next time you are in the market for a vehicle look for a vehicle that is fuel efficient.
There are several hybrid cars that get 40-50 or more mpg even when they are using regular gasoline and they can get even better mileage when using electric power!
If you have the money to burn then an electric vehicle may be an option for you since they run entirely on electricity. The current issue with that is that most of these vehicles have issues with range. Once the range improves or electric charging stations become more prevalent then these obstacles will be eliminated.
Even if neither of these options are for you there is always the option of carpooling whenever possible. One car on the road is always better than two for a multitude of reasons.
No Plastic Please
A much easier way to start going green is simply to pick up a bag made of some fabric and use that when shopping at convenience stores or on light grocery shopping days.
These bags are cheap, keep you from using plastic over and over again and easy to store in your vehicle when you make a quick stop for something.
Something as small and simple as a plastic bag may take decades to biodegrade so the act of using a cloth bag of some sort will make a big impact on the environment if you stop to consider how many plastic bags you use on a weekly basis.
Eco Friendly Pests
An emerging market is organic pest control. Some companies are built around using as few pesticides as possible and turning to natural ingredients, such as orange oil, to provide relief from pests such as termites.
They may also use tactics such as freezing bed bugs or using bait traps for roaches to minimize the amount of poison that is being used in and around your home.
Most pest control services do monthly maintenance so over the course of a few years you can see how this might make a significant difference in how green you household and lawn are.
Energy Efficient
Almost every room of your home has the opportunity to improve efficiency.
Water saving toilets in your home can save 20% of the water you normally would use per plush with the added benefit of saving you $110 per year over standard toilets.
Energy saving bulbs can use up to 75% less energy than standard bulbs and can last anywhere from 8 to 25 times longer giving you the added benefit of less waste!
In addition to these items many manufacturers are making energy saving electronics and appliances can that can really make an impact on your energy bill and the amount of energy you are using monthly.
The bottom line is that to go green you don’t necessarily have to make an expensive purchase to make a difference, many of the things you do on a daily or monthly basis can accumulate to save you money as well as help preserve the environment.
Sources:
http://energy.gov
http://www.epa.gov
