Environmental toxification is a global threat that grows daily, and it’s gotten harder and harder to ignore. Here are ten small changes that you can make to help change our climate for the better and help keep our planet sustainable for future generations:
Not too long ago, solar panels were seen as a bit of a ludicrous luxury—but that stigma is not sticking. The price of solar panels has decreased dramatically (about 89%) over the past 10 years (Sisson, Barber & Walker, Apr. 22, 2020), and let’s be honest: energy companies already make enough off of powering the rest of the world already as is. But the main point here is that both hardware costs for the actual panels as well as soft costs (installation, permits, setting up electrical meters to measure usage, etc.) have also declined steadily (thesolarnerd.com, Jan. 16, 2020). These will decrease the amount of energy your home takes from your electric company, which will reduce their total output, and with enough public application, can drastically reduce the electric company’s emissions output. But so much more than that: it’s cheaper in the long run. So save yourself some money down the road, and feel good about doing it, too!
2. Switch out your old lightbulbs for LEDs
High quality LED bulbs can last up to 25 times longer, while also using at least 75% less energy than other bulbs. While these bulbs might be a little bit more expensive just for purchasing, they can wind up cutting your energy bill drastically. For more information on new varieties of LED bulbs, check out energy.gov to learn more!
3. Replace your HVAC filters every 3 months
A dirty air filtration system will make your furnace work harder to heat your home over the winter. A harder-working home will cost you in energy, so regularly replacing your air filter will ensure that your furnace is working as little as possible to do the job (energystar.gov, 2020).
4. Wash your clothes in cold water
Approximately 75% of the total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions produced from a single load of laundry come from just warming the water itself (Sisson, Barber & Walker, Apr. 22, 2020). Spare yourself the energy costs! Besides, in a lot of cases, using cold water can be just as effective as using hot water to do your laundry (Martin & Rosenthal, Sept. 16, 2011).
5. Recycle your clothes
Fast fashion is wasteful! The environmental costs of manufacturing and distributing new clothes is pretty harsh—in fact according to a 2010 Textile World article, fashion accounts for about 10% of global emissions (Cutter, Aug. 18, 2016). Donating or giving away your old, used clothing will help to reduce the demand on new clothing, and some retailers will actually purchase, refurbish and resell your old clothing (Gunther, Aug. 9, 2016), taking another little piece of the demand away from textile manufacturing costs.
6. Design your workplace around natural light
Are you working from home right now? Do you need that lamp on to keep working? Keeping a clean and organized workspace that utilizes natural sunlight instead of artificial will save you a little change on energy costs, reduce your total energy needs just a touch (Barber, Apr. 2, 2020), and it might even make your workplace a little bit more enjoyable, too!
7. Insulate your home
Making your home more energy-efficient will reduce the amount of power required to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Adequate insulation, weather stripping and caulking around your home can even save you up to 25% on your energy bills (West, Nov. 10, 2020)!
8. Hang-dry your clothes instead of using the dryer
Hang drying your clothes might be a bit of a hassle, but doing so can save you on average up to 3.3% on your energy bills (Hughes, Apr. 12, 2007). Every little bit counts, and doing this over time can reduce any damage people can do to the environment, as well as can wind up saving you quite a bit of cash in the long run.
9. Plant a community garden
Not only is this a great way to mingle with your neighbours, this can also have some larger affects by offering your community a chance to participate in a community project that will help the entire community reduce their global footprint! Check out the American Community Garden Association’s webpage for some basic tips to help you get started on this community project!
10. Check your carbon footprint
Use this handy online tool provided by Nature.org to calculate the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by your actions. Be warned, you might find yourself unpleasantly surprised (transportation does a lot), but the site can also give you more tips on how to reduce your negative impact on the environment as well (Nature.org, 2020)!