I am going to start living a ‘Greener’ lifestyle.
Any tips for me?
Like:Where do I start?
And yes, I am on a budget.
Please Give Me As Many Tips As Possible!
And I will choose a best anwser later
[Based on the answer with the most information and detail]
Thanks.
well to start off u don’t even have to pay for most of the thing but if you want to live a greener life than listen to me;recycle, unplug your electronics when your not using them(BIG help!!!), turn off the lights when your done in a room or its bright in the room without it, also when you brush your teeth or wash your face at the time when your not using it turn it off you could be helping a lot of families who don’t have that much resources.
Go to
http://www.builditsolar.com/
and check out the "half program" The idea is to cut your CO2 emissions by half. Then cut them by half again, I suppose. There are many good ideas listed there, and Gary is cost conscious because he is doing a lot of the stuff himself. He lists a lot of projects that he and others have done. Of his own projects he claims:
"this set of projects will save 18+ tons per year of green house gas emissions, and $4,800 per year in energy costs"
Become a Vegetarian!
Five hectres of land is needed to grow food for each person eating a meat based diet whereas the same amount of land can feed thirty people if soya bean was grown! This would help save the rainforest as a large percentage is due to trees being cut down for grazing animals. With something like 700 million going hungry in the world maybe we need to think about this.
A meat diet is more expensive than a vegetarian diet.
Never use plastic bags, reusable cotton/jute/whatever bags are so much more fashionable and guilty conscious free! Not to mention sturdier! – No fear of your bottle of wine dropping out the bottom!
Cut the costs of your bills by remembering to turn off the power on everything thats not in use and add an extra layer of clothing rather than putting the heating up an notch.
Think of how you travel – if you were able to walk or cycle think of the benefits to your health aswell as your pocket and the environment.
Go for the fairtrade option, the range of fairtrade products on the shelfs is increasing steadily.
There are hundreds of lovely little ways to help live a greener life out there – little things like milk bottles in the shower to collect water for the plants, and when you think about it its amazing what you can do if you stop to think before you put something in the bin – maybe it can have another use within your home!
The key to green living is to simply think!
Have fun : )
Easy ways to start include bringing your own reusable bags when you go shopping. This cuts down on a tremendous amount of waste.
Recycle all that you can!
Consider what kind of packaging you’re buying – try to buy in bulk when you can and with minimal packaging.
Compost!
Consider putting appliances on power strips so you can shut them off when not in use – a lot of "phantom" energy goes into them even when not in use.
Wash in cold water with eco-friendly detergent (isn’t any more expensive when you buy on sale.)
Buy and shop local.
Good luck!
You will probably find these on that 33 page list but some I didn’t see.
Use a permanent air filter and just clean it as needed.
Buy products from bulk bins and bring your own containers.
Bring your own grocery bags.
Grow your own vegetable and herbs. Even if you just have a window garden you could grow a couple things.
Use a reusable bottle for water instead of buying bottled water.
Bring your own travel coffee mug instead of getting it in a paper cup with plastic lid.
Turn your heat/AC off. I promise you will adjust to the temperature.
Take shorter showers.
Use eco friendly cleaning products. Baking soda and white vinegar will clean just about anything.
Minimize your use of plastic.
Eat more vegetables, raising animals to kill takes a huge toll on the environment.
Buy local.
Buy organic.
Buy a safety razor instead of using plastic ones.
Use all recycled paper products- printing paper, TP, papertowels, napkins.
Better yet use cloth napkins and towels instead.
Use natural sponges versus synthetic and boil them for a couple minutes to clean them instead of buying new.
Request plastic free or reduced plastic packaging when you order something online.
Shop at ebay, craigslist, and local thrift stores.
Use a drying rack instead of a dryer and unplug the dryer.
Buy Smart Strip power strips.
Turn lights off when you aren’t in a room.
Stop using petroleum candles instead use beeswax which actually improves air quality. Avoid soy products because right now the rainforest and farmable land in Africa is being used to grow soy instead of leaving the rainforest and growing food for locals in Africa.
Recycle everything. This may mean reusing glass jars you got from the grocery store.
If you need new utensils or bowls buy bamboo.
If you need other ideas and inspiration there are hundreds of personal blogs about how people are going green. My fiance have one http://badhuman.wordpress.com but there are tons of great ones.
Try to use biodegradable products and environmentally friendly products as much as possible, they not only help keep us free of toxins in our rivers and streams but help the planet on a greater scale…
everyone can do something to help…
check the links below, its not much but if everyone uses stuff like that it will make a big difference…
Here are two good links to start a green life style.
One cheap and easy way to start is to eliminate all phantom electric loads in your home. If your husband, brother, dad can turn a screwdriver it can be done. Look how to make all your outlets switchable. This kill-a-watt meter will show what uses power when appliances are in the off position.
Have a 5 minute shower everyday
Recycle
In the day shut off all you lights leaving your house to be only lighted up with the beautiful sun
Pick up litter on your property or your neightbours go with your family to the park pick up garbage
Wear t-shirts to spread the informatons
GOOD LUCK <3
compost – start a heap in the garden using vegetable peelings from the kitchen and any cuttings from the garden. (avoid adding perennial weeds). Not only will you send less rubbish to landfill but at the end of your composting you will have good fertiliser for the garden.
get energy light saving bulbs and switch off any electrical items not in use especially those using a little red/blue/green light to show that the item is in standby mode (for instance my toaster is a digital thing which I switch off from the mains that has a red light thereby saving two types of electrical waste)
walk/ bike ride instead of taking the car or share car journey where possible
When you are not on a budget investigate the possibility of installing solar panels on the roof to store electricity for your own use
turn your heating thermostat down even by 1 degree and wear more clothes – thermal underwear is quite natty these days
turn washing machine from 40 degrees C to 30 degrees C and if you have a dishwasher only use both machines for full loads
good luck I hope you have fun being greener
Carpool or use public trans when available or make muiltiple stops on a shopping run.
Recycle all you can.
By second hand reduce land fill space and save money.
Grown or hunt as much of your own food as you can.
Start a community garden.
Check some groups on yahoo groups.
Convserve as much engery as possible at day and night.
-live-in-the-woods-with-no-technology-
Wear extra layers if your cold rather than turning on the heater.
If you can walk to your destination than you should.
Never leave anything on stand by switch it off.
Turn on any unused lights.
Recycle – the possiblities are endless!
Buy local produce.
Wash dishes by hand (if possible)
Advise your friends to do the same.
Search the internet for more tips!
When you buy new lightbulbs, go to Home Depot or even Costo and buy the energy-efficient kind. They don’t shine as bright as normal ones do, but you’ll get used to it. They are always cheaper and last much longer.
When you’re not watching TV or using a light, turn it off.
Start recycling as well. I have no clue where our recycling section in our town is, so I bring all my papers into school to recycle them. If you work recycles, you could do so as well perhaps a every week or month.