Here are this month's five steps you can take to modify your lifestyle and practice more environmentally-conscious choices. Hopefully you have already fully adapted to the first ten resolutions from January and February and are now ready to make additional changes to your daily routines.
With each resolution you incorporate into your daily routine, you will find practicing these environmentally-friendly lifestyle tips easier and you will soon notice a difference in how you go about your life on this fragile planet, not to mention the financial benefits of living eco-friendly. Each month five more tips to "going green" will be featured.
Reduce Consumption
This is one of the larger, more challenging tips given so far. It is easy to get caught up in the "greenwashing" going on these days, where we are still viewed as consumers before citizens and companies try to convince us that buying a specific product will reduce our environmental impact. Shopping will not solve the environmental crisis. In fact, it will only make it worse.
We need to reduce our overall consumption, not just modify the types of products we buy. This is not to discredit eco-friendly products, and in fact the second tip is to encourage switching to more environmentally-sensitive products. The point is that conspicuous consumption is a driving factor in many of our environmental issues.
We need to take an honest look at how we live our lives and the things we surround ourselves with. Clothes, the latest electronics, various knick-knacks around the house – all these items take energy and resources to create and we can't truly address our degradation of the environment without looking at overall consumption.
Buy Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Adding onto the first tip, it must be noted that there are some products that will continue to be consumed in the foreseeable future and it is clearly better to consume products that are eco-friendly than ones that are not. It is not hard to find eco-friendly cleaning alternatives and the choices will only expand in the coming years - chemical-free cleaning agents, biodegradable laundry soap, the list goes on. The chemicals used to make conventional cleaners are harmful and the more we can reduce the dependency on harsh chemicals and petroleum-based cleaners, the better.
Wash Laundry in Cold Water
Heating water expends a great deal of energy, so washing your laundry in cold water is a quick and easy way to cut back on your energy consumption. Special laundry detergents are available for washing clothes in cold water – although your regular (eco-friendly, of course) laundry soap that will work just as well. Sheets, towels and clothes can all be washed in cold water. The colours in your clothes will last longer and your energy consumption will be significantly reduced by making this small change in how you wash your laundry.
Insulate, Don't Over-Heat Your House
There are many items on the market now to help homeowners insulate their homes and cut down on energy consumption and costs. Windows and doors are prime targets for letting in cold drafts in the winter, which result in using more energy to keep the house warm. Remember to turn your thermostat down at night while everyone is warm in bed and also whenever there is no one in the house. Why use the energy and add to your energy bill when there is no need?
For those in apartments, similar measures can be taken, although eco-friendly home insulation products can be quite costly so be inventive. Try a cheap roll of weather-stripping tape to block drafts from windows and other openings. Leave curtains open during the day to allow for sunlight and keep windows heavily draped at night to block out cold air from the room. Seal any cracks along window ledges or other areas where drafts may be getting in.
Always Return Unused Medications to a Pharmacy
The dangers of dumping unused or expired medications down the toilet and into the general plumbing system are not well known. Just like paint and other toxic chemicals, medications should not be discarded of in this manner. They must be properly disposed of and most pharmacies will take them off your hands and do this for you. Many of the chemicals found in prescription and non-prescription drugs are not effectively removed from the water system at the treatment plant and remain in municipal water. Human waste is already contributing to the level of drug traces found in municipal water supplies, but dumping medication directly into the drain or toilet only exacerbates this problem.
Additional Resources
- National Geographic's Green Guide for Everyday Living
- Natural Resources of Canada Tips on Saving Energy in Your Home
- Go Green Simply - January
- Go Green Simply - February
- Go Green Simply - April
Gemma Richardson - Gemma Richardson is a PhD student with a Master of Arts degree in Communication and Social Justice from the University of Windsor (2009) ...
