Five Things You Can Do at Home to Help the Environment
- ywacc.ngo
- Apr 11, 2020
- 3 min read
Hello everyone! We hope that everyone is doing well and has had the chance to reflect and find something positive amidst these testing times. Today’s read will be a quick one: Five things you can do, from the safety of your home, to help the environment. Our last two articles have touched on eco-friendly practices you can apply during these times, so we encourage you to check those out first.
Look into Energy Efficient Appliances.
Energy efficiency may not be the most radical solution to combat the pressing issue of climate change, but it is one that produces legitimate results that can lower our carbon footprint. An example of an energy efficient alternative would be the usage of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) instead of incandescent light bulbs. CFLs produce a lot less heat compared to other lightbulbs on the market; this extra generation of heat is lost as thermal energy, rendering this accumulation of energy useless. An even better alternative to CFLs are LED lights. LED lights require a much lower wattage of energy than CFLs and incandescent light bulbs. As a result, LED lights are much more energy efficient and last longer than their competitors. Here is a link to some affordable LED lights from Home Depot:
Grow a Garden!
This is a perfect project to start while we are all self-isolating. With all the extra time on your hands, take advantage of this opportunity and start your very own home garden. While this task may seem daunting at first, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to be an expert on your first try. Try to experiment growing different fruits and vegetables that you and your family will enjoy eating. You not only will help make the Earth a little bit more green, but you will also eliminate all the energy going into manufacturing and transporting foods from a grocery store all the way to your dinner plate. Here is a useful almanac for novice gardeners:
Reduce the Amount of Paper You Use
This is something that we often don’t stop and think about. When we’re working on homework, we often discard scrap paper without giving it much further thought. We print documents that we can access purely in a digital format. We use three, four, or maybe five paper towels to clean up a spill that could have been handled with a normal towel. A helpful tip to keep in mind would be to always use both sides of a sheet of paper if you absolutely must use it. If you need to use paper towels, opt in for the recycled version. By saving paper, you can help lead the fight against deforestation and help preserve our natural resources. After all, it takes about ten years for a tree to grow- we shouldn’t deplete our resources faster than mother nature can handle.
Unplug Non-essential Devices
Our fourth tip is something that many of us are guilty of not doing. After using a device, it really is the best to unplug it. This is a great habit to build! For example, after turning on a desk lamp to do your homework, unplug it and turn it off. This leads to conserving energy and reducing electric bills over time. Another practice, that many are guilty of not following, is to unplug an electronic device after its battery reaches 100 percent. When you think about it, it makes no sense to keep a phone plugged in past 100 percent- it can’t reach a battery level higher than that! However, this tip is one that is often forgotten or not mentioned. Keep an eye out for when your devices are charging, and if you can, unplug it once it reaches its limit.
Use More Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies
Our fifth and final tip for today may be a bit more tricky to follow given our current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are plenty of brands that make no sacrifice for cleanliness, while also maintaining a strong sustainability initiative. These brands try to minimize the amount of plastic that goes into manufacturing their products, as well as using safer and more green ingredients in their products. These companies are responsibly sourced, and we encourage you to do some more research about this topic. We understand that this practice may not be the most practical given the current situation, but this tip can be used after the risk subsides. The following link is from the United States Environmental Protection Agency; it lists disinfectants that have been effectively shown to kill SARS-COV-2. We also encourage you to do your own research on this topic and find out which option works best for you!
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