HOW TO DO OUR PART TO MAKE THE WORLD A GREENER PLACE

No one can deny that the earth's air, water, and land are becoming more increasingly polluted. As a result, species are disappearing at an alarming rate. Climate changes, droughts disasters and disease are rampant. No one country, state, or individual can solve these problems on their own. No perfect solution has even been found. But small changes, made consistently, by many individuals, will make a difference. We must reduce the use of non-renewable resources, as we opt for renewable ones such as solar and wind power. We must make wiser choices of the products we use and attempt to repair the damage society has done to the environment over the past years. Here are some small changes that we can all make.

Instructions

- If we make some changes in our daily lives, we will not only be a part of preserving the planet, we will also improve our own health, help save dwindling resources and in the process save ourselves precious dollars. The easiest place to start is within your own home.

- First we should manage the heating and cooling in our home. Saving heat is saving money and conserving resources. Make sure your doors and windows are properly weather stripped. Insulate all areas, not forgetting switch plates and electrical outlets. In summer you will keep your house cooler if you install awnings to keep out the sun. Roll or remove these in winter to bring in the sun's warmth. Deciduous trees are a good choice for around the house. They shade and cool in the summer and, dropping their leaves, let in the sun in the winter.
If you have rooms that you seldom use in winter, keep the air registers almost closed. Do keep them oven slightly to avoid frozen pipes.
Use you air conditioning units sparingly and turn them off when you are away.
Use the venting fans in bathrooms and kitchens sparingly. These are costly to run and also send precious heated or cooled air out of your home.
In winter, set your thermostat no higher than 72 degrees. When you are accustomed to this temperature, lower the thermostat 2 additional degrees. Add a sweater blanket if necessary. Continue lowering the heat. Your body will learn to adjust. At night, set the thermostat no higher than 65. When you are accustomed to this temperature, lower the thermostat an additional 2 degrees. Add an extra blanket if necessary. These changes will mean more dollars in your pocket.

- If you are purchasing new appliances, make sure they are energy efficient. These may seem more expensive but they will soon pay for themselves. Not everyone can afford new appliances but you can use the ones you have more efficiently. Insulate your hot water pipes and wrap your hot water heater with an insulating blanket. Check the manual that came with your heater to make sure it is within an acceptable range.

- Wash your clothes in cold water and dry them only as long as absolutely necessary. If, for whatever reason, you must use warm or hot water, at least, rinse in cold. Hang dry if possible. If clothes are to be ironed, remove them from the dryer slightly damp. Plan laundry day so that all loads will be full ones and all ironing is done at the same time to avoid reheating the iron.

 - If you use an energy efficient dish washer, you use less water than by hand washing. Do not, however, use the pre-rinse faculty. It should not be necessary. Wash only full loads and opt for the air dry setting. Clean the filter regularly.

- Think about how you use water in the home. If you are running a tap waiting for warm water, put a basin under the tap and keep this water for use on plants or for cleaning around the house. Even rinse water can be used to water the garden. Soapy water is good for killing aphids on your plants. Turn off taps while brushing teeth, shaving etc. Showers take only a fraction of the water needed for a bath. If you are installing a new toilet, make it low flow or fill your present toilet tank with a spacer. This will force your toilet to use less water for each flush. Water is a precious resource which is becoming increasingly scarce. We must conserve it for our sake and for the sake of the other inhabitants of our planet.

- By using more natural cleaning products, we will be putting fewer pollutants into our waste water. Baking soda, vinegar, borax, and salt can do many of the cleaning jobs around the home just as well as the more expensive commercial products. Lemon juice and soda water clean away many stains in carpets and fabrics. Avoid aerosol sprays which still contain hydrocarbon-based gases. Manual spray pumps are just as efficient. It is easier to clean more often with natural products than to wait until dirt is crusted on. The old broom and carpet sweeper used often avoid the necessity of power-using vacuums.

- Turn off the light when you leave the room. Turn off TVs and other power using units that are not being that are merely being used as background noise. Replace old light bulbs with the newer high-efficiency bulbs.

- Look for organic fabrics, soaps, and cosmetics. These should also be cruelty free. It is time for animal testing on these products to stop. Read all you can about suggestions for going green. You will be saving money, improving your own and your families health, and, above all, you will be preserving the planet for the generations to come. There will be more to come on this subject.