1. Household cooling and heating account for about 30% of our personal greenhouse gas emissions. By lowering your household thermostat you are not only decrease your personal carbon footprint, you are also saving money. A one-degree drop on the thermostat can save you 5% of your utility bill.
2. You can save around a year by buying compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFL bulbs use around 66% less energy than the standard light bulb and last about ten times longer.
3. By reducing your water consumption, you can both save money and decrease your impact on the environment. The average bath takes about 75 litres of water; a five-minute shower with a low flow showerhead uses about half of that. Simply putting out a rain barrel to collect rainwater for watering gardens and lawns is also an excellent way to decrease your water consumption.
4. You can save almost a year or about 9% of your water heating costs by simply wrapping old water tanks in an insulation blanket. If the tank is warm or hot to the touch some of the energy used to heat, the water is going to waste.
5. The refrigerator is the single most energy user in a home. To help cut costs and save energy, turn up your fridge. Adjust the thermostat so the fridge is between 2-3 degrees Celsius and the freezer is around -16 degrees Celsius. By keeping your Refrigerator a little colder, it will not have to turn on as often.
6. Growing your own food can save you money, eat healthier and decrease your carbon footprint. Substantial air pollution is created in the shipping of fruits and vegetables.
7. You can save around a year by not idling your car. It burns less gas to turn your car off and restart it again than idling for anytime over 10 seconds.
8. It can cost you around a year to have even one car tire under inflated. Keeping all your tires properly inflated can save 3% a year n fuel use.
9. Speeding is not only costly when you get a ticket it also burns far more gas and increases your emissions. By always driving the speed limit, you can cut your gas use, cost and emissions by up to 20%.
10. By walking or riding a bicycle, instead of driving you can save a substantial amount of money annually and put a dent in your carbon footprint. Not only do you lower your use of gas, decrease your emissions and save money, you also get exercise, which will keep you healthier.
To decrease your carbon footprint is easy and even small thing add up. If we all put out an effort together, we can make a difference.
Written by Patricia Cartwright
Freelance writer and Artist, Dog rescue worker and enthusiast
By: Andy Seidl
Video Rating: 5 / 5
