ways to reduce your impact

Ways to Reduce Your Impact

Instructable to detail many different ways to reduce your impact.
1. Change to CFLs
Compact fluorescents are a type of fluorescent lamp that uses less energy than a normal incandescent. They have a longer life than incandescent light bulbs, and in the United States, a CFL can save over US$30 in electricity costs over the lamp s lifetime. This is compared to an incandescent lamp and save 2000 times their own weight in Greenhouse Gases.
2. Up 2 degress in summer 2 down in winter
Heating and cooling is responsible for a large percentage of a household s energy consumption. Turn up your thermometer in warm weather. An average thermostat temperature for warmer weather is at around 78 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are not at home most of the day, you can turn the temperature up to reduce the cooling that your house makes during the day. The opposite goes for cooler weather. 68 degrees Fahrenheit is about average where you should have your temperature. Each degree below the 68 mark reduces 3% 5% more heating energy consumption. Just wear an extra sweater if you feel a little bit colder than usual.
3. Recycle your junk mail
As a future college student, my brother, my sister, and I receive about 5 letters a day regarding colleges. We usually do not read most of them because most are either too far away, or we are interested in those colleges. Recycle those letters! Don t throw them away Contact your local recycling center, and ask them if they have any tips on recycling, and junk mail recycling. Ask them about electronics recycling days, or pickups. Throwing out old electronics is dangerous, and they would usually just end up in a landfill. Don t let that happen, ask your recycling center how to recycle them the right way.
4. Dont let your water continue running
As you are brushing your teeth, washing your face, washing your hands, etc... turn the water off when you are not using it. Brushing takes two minutes. During that two minutes, valuable water is going to waste. Turn that faucet off, and turn it on to clean your tooth brush! It saves 4 gallons a minute. That s 200 gallons a week for a family of four. Turn the faucet off when you lather up to wash your hands...even when you are showering! Turn off the water while you shave and you can save more than 100 gallons a week. If you are letting the water heat up in your shower, you can collect the cold water and use it for plants, or other uses that you use water for around your house. The point here is, don t keep your water running when you are not using it. If it is running, do something useful with that water.
5. Make a Compost pile
The use of compost for planting, adds water holding organic matter to the soil. it feeds the soil micro organisms that help the soil and the plants stay healthy. It also reduces your yard and kitchen scraps that you would normally throw away. I made a list of the Instructables that are how to build a compost pile
6. Unplug unused electronics
Unplug your electronics when you are not using them. Believe it or not, your television uses energy when it is on standby. Unplug your television overnight, or when you are out at work and not using it. Plug it back in during prime time! Blenders, toasters, soldering irons, hair dryers, curlers, straighteners, chargers, etc... You can save a lot of money on energy if you just pull the plug on your electronic devices.
7. Plant a tree
Plant a tree! What a novel idea! Especially because it absorbs a ton of carbon dioxide over it s lifetime! Trees also produce shade, which can lower your energy costs 10 15%. They absorb in the gas that is contributing to global warming. Trees release oxygen in to the atmosphere as well. Trees really are useful
8. Buy local
Buy locally grown and produced foods. The energy used to transport foods from all over the world is extremely high. By buying locally, you save fuel, as well as help out your community economically. Farming is not a wealthy occupation, but by buying local goods, you can jump start your community economically.
9. Use masstransit carpool walking biking
Driving 10 percent less, by walking, biking, carpooling, or taking public transit, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.2 to 0.8 tonnes per year, depending on the vehicle. Individual driving can get expensive. If one person can reduce the amount they drive, their carbon footprint is extremely lower than one who drives everyday. Electric scooters are also a very good alternative.
10. Make sure your tires are inflated
Driving with deflated tires reduces your gas mileage by up to 3%. You will get to your destination faster, and you will have less of a carbon footprint. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.