Smart Ways to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Home
Photo by lambatofa
Even if you are eco-conscious, you may not know that there are little things you can do in your own home to reduce your carbon footprint. When you look at the big environmental picture, it can look intimidating. It’s tempting to assume there’s nothing you can do to make a change. But the small things are cumulative, and it starts with the individual. In short, you can make a difference. Here are some smart ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint.
Turn it off
Did your parents ever nag you about turning out your bedroom light when you weren’t in it? They were right! Now it applies to your whole house – if you’re not in the room, turn off the lights. Even if you are in the room, use natural light as much as possible. For times when you desire electric lighting, consider LEDs (light emitting diodes) or CFLs (compact fluorescent lights).
Computers
Computers can take a long time to boot up, so it is tempting to leave them on or on standby mode. But try to allow for the extra time required to boot up, and turn off the computer when it’s not in use. This will not only reduce your power bill and lessen your carbon footprint, but it will reduce your machine’s vulnerability to viruses, spyware, and other invaders.
Energy-efficient appliances
If you’ve ever thought about getting a new refrigerator, stove, washer or dryer, now is the time. Take advantage of current tax rebates and upgrade your kitchen with Energy-star appliances.
If you can’t replace your current equipment, look for ways to reduce their usage. For example, don’t hold the refrigerator door open, and hang up your clothes instead of running the dryer. Only run the washer when the load is full, and use cold water. The same applies to the dishwasher – only run it when it is full of dishes, and turn off extra features such as heat drying.
In the bathroom, low-flow toilets and faucets can save water. Faucets are inexpensive to replace, but a toilet can be a big job – if you can’t afford to replace your current toilet, you can do the brick-in-the-tank trick. The brick displaces the water, meaning less water is needed to fill the tank.
Furniture
Choose furniture made from sustainable woods and untreated with chemicals. If you are doing some renovations, buy lumber that is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC’s “seal” assures that the wood was cut from trees grown by sustainable methods.
Heating and cooling
Try to cut back on your heating and cooling use. Turn the thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer, using fans as much as possible in lieu of air conditioning. In the winter, wear wool sweaters and socks even while indoors.
Rain water
A rain barrel is a great way to reduce your use of treated, municipal water. Use it to water plants, wash your car, and even wash your pets (note that rain water should not be used as drinking water for people or domestic animals).
Recycle
This is a rather obvious way to reduce waste, but it bears repeating. Recycling goes beyond sending stacks of newspapers and plastic bottles off to the recycling center. You can recycle household items into useful things, and compost your kitchen scraps.
