According to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint is a "measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. It is meant to be useful for individuals and organizations to conceptualize their personal (or organizational) impact in contributing to global warming.”
The size and type of our homes, the cars we drive, the amount of air travel we do – almost every aspect of daily life adds to the size and scope of our individual carbon footprint. Below are some steps that each of us can take to make our homes – and the Earth – a greener place.
Let there be (efficient) light!
Use Compact Florescent Lightbulbs (CFLs). According to PathNet.org, if every family in the U.S.A. replaced their five most-frequently used light bulbs with CFLs, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by one trillion pounds.
Eliminate junk mail
5.6 million tons of catalogs and other direct mail advertisements make their way through American households each year, eventually finding their way to U.S. landfills. This accounts for about 100 million trees. To reduce the amount of junk mail that gets delivered to your mailbox:
- Register with the Mail Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
- OptOutPreScreen.com enables you to remove your name from solicitations by credit card and mortgage companies.
- Download a Stop the Junk Mail Kit.
Your MP3 player, laptop, PDA, cell phone, and camera can all be charged with portable solar chargers. The added benefit is that you will never again be caught hunting for a wall outlet when the battery in your phone or laptop gets low.
Plain and simple
Sometimes the most effective measures are the most obvious ones: If you’re not using it, turn it off and unplug it. Remember that even power strips and electronic appliances that go into a “sleep” mode are still pulling a current, even if they are switched to the “off” position. To optimize this tip, unplug unused appliances, or use power strips that can be turned off at night.
Cool it
Did you know that 25% of your home’s energy use can be accounted for by your refrigerator? Perform these quick tests to make sure yours is operating at peak efficiency:
- Close your refrigerator door on a dollar bill, then try to pull the bill out. If it comes out easily, the seal on your door isn’t tight enough, which means cold air is escaping from inside, causing your refrigerator to run more than necessary.
- Open your refrigerator door, and then let go. If the door doesn’t close again by itself, your refrigerator may need to be leveled. If you have a refrigerator that’s more than 10 years old, it’s time to replace it.
Man or Machine?
You may be surprised to learn that it can be better to wash your dishes in an energy-efficient dishwasher than it is to wash them by hand. Just make sure the dishwasher is full before running it.
Speaking of cleaning…
Try using eco-friendly products around your home. www.EverydayHealth.com provides a list of alternatives for cleaning, home maintenance, auto, and hobby products you use every day.
One man’s treaure
GreenDisk.com can help you turn your electronic media such as DVDs, CDs, zip drives, and audio and video tapes into items that can be reused. When items can’t be reused, GreenDisk.com can also make sure they are properly and safely disposed of.
Keep it in tune
Taking care of your car with regular maintenance and tune-ups will help you burn less gas, and help prevent car trouble down the road. According to Yahoo! Green, if every American’s car tires were properly inflated we could save around 2 billion gallons of gas each year.
By following these simple suggestions you can make your home healthier and cleaner, while reducing the carbon footprint you and your family leave behind.
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