LIFESTYLES MATTERS

LIFESTYLES MATTERS (Extract from CALIBRE magazine)

How do you live? What kind of appliances & habits do you have at home? The answer to this question & lots more, affect your total carbon footprint. Our cumulative actions in this respect eventually influences the global climate.

What is carbon footprint? It’s ecological lingo referring to the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by you as a result of your daily activities & consumption of products & services.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

There are a raft simple things you can tweak in your life to help reduce your carbon footprint. The mantra really resolves around the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle wherever possible.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Start with simple home appliances.  Changing your light bulbs to CFL compact fluorescent is a great start. Granted, they cost more than ordinary bulbs but they last up to 15X longer & use up to 80% less electricity.

APPLIANCES ALERT

When replacing household appliances, choose energy efficient ones. The initial upfront may cost more but it will save your money in the long run.

CLEANING WISE

Use vegetable-based & biodegradable cleaning products. Some of these can actually be made at home.

BIN THE MICROWAVE

It seems like a drastic step but this contraption spawns a massive carbon footprint. Frozen dinners that rely on microwaves are carbon intensive products that cost more to freeze, ship & display at grocery stores & supermarket. Instead cook fresh food as often as you can.

SLAY SLOTHFUL HABITS

Eliminate wasteful habits when using household appliances:

o   Only operate your dishwasher & washing machine when you have a full load

o   Halt your dishwasher before the drying cycle & let the dishes dry naturally

o   Don’t leave the tap on when brushing your teeth.

o   Household electronic equipment should not be put on standby mode. They use up to 10-40% more power even while on this mode.

WORK THE SNUG FIT

Air-con are electricity guzzlers. To make sure they operate as efficiently as possible, ensure your air-con rooms are well insulated. Ensure all doors & windows are sealed properly.

WASTE ISSUES

Try to use something other than black plastic garbage bag as the black bags can’t be recycle because of the black pigment that is put in them.

SAY NO TO BOTTLED WATER

Filter your own water rather thanbuy bottled water as not all bottled are recycle.

REBOOT YOUR DIET

There are strong links between food & global warming. Eat as little meat as possible as meat is a carbon intensive item. Also use cheese free alternative where possible as cheese is an animal products & has the same carbon cost as meat.

CULTIVATE SAVVY SHOPPING

o   Buy local foods as far as possible and in-season produce at that. Why? Foods that come from abroad or are out-of-season require more energy to refrigerate & more fuel to ship in.

o   Wherever possible, do buy organic or “fair trade” food. There’s a better chance the food was grown in an eco-friendly way.

o   Pay attention to packaging too. Buy loose item rather than those that are bunched together in a plastic bag\box. Store these items in reusable containers yourself.

o   Make a thorough shopping list & limit your trips to the grocer’s to just once a week.

o   Use reusable cloth bags for grocery shopping even on days when plastic bags are available.

THE CAR CODE

o   Tires should be inflated to specifications to ensure your car uses fuel as efficiently as possible.

o   Drive at or below speed limits as this reduces your vehicle emissions. You will also consume up to 25% less fuel if you drive no more than 90km per hour.

o   Don’t carry unnecessary loads in the boot or on the roof of the car-it increases your car’s fuel consumption. In this respect even your weight affects fuel consumption.

o   Don’t use a hose to wash your car. Use the bucket instead & cut down on the number of times you give it a wash.

GREEN OUTDOOR HABITS

o   Plant a tree whenever possible. They are a great way to offset carbon. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide & breathe out oxygen. They also shade your house from our perennial hot & sultry weather & will lower your air-con bills as well.

o   Water your garden in the early morning as this saves on water and is, incidentally healthiest for your plants.

o   Fit your garden host with a trigger spray to reduce your water consumption where possible.

PZSTINGRAY: Everyday I tell myself to safe the world & you also can DO IT!