It can be daunting at first, trying to cut back on your energy use. Separating trash can become a pain, forgetting to turn the lights off, needing a car to get to work… it can all seem like more trouble than it’s worth. Yet, if it’s done little by little, gradually working upward, you can be amazed at how much money you actually save and at the same time protect the environment. Each step can work in more ways than one. Saving electricity also saves the water that it would take to generate it. Buying less plastic saves the need to get the raw materials needed to make them and saves electricity.
Energy is used all around your world. You use energy directly when you put gas in your car, turn on a light switch, or watch a movie. You also use energy indirectly in the products you use, the foods you eat, and the water you drink. Energy, lots of it, is used to make all the things we use and consume every day. By expanding on the motto of reduce, reuse, and recycle, you can cut down on the total amount of energy you use every day. The more people who follow that concept, the less of a need we’ll need for foreign energy sources and ruin our own lands for them.
Reduce: You can reduce the amount of energy you use every day by simple things such as turning off a light switch when you’re not in a room to as complicated as attaching solar panels to your home.
Reuse: You can reduce energy by simply reusing things so there is no need to waste more energy in raw materials, manufacturing, etc. It could be as simple as turning an old pair of socks into cleaning rags to as big buying an older house.
Recycling: You can reduce energy by following the recycling guidelines in your neighborhood. More plastic bottles besides soda bottles and milk jugs can be recycled. It can be as simple as making sure to separating your trash to as big as selling/donating your old stuff.
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By limiting your energy use, you limit the amount of air pollution that goes into generating electricity. |
Limit your use of aerosols. Make sure the ones you buy do not contain CFCs. |
Limit your use of personal transportation. SUVs are some of the worst air-polluters. |
Make sure to buy a low-emission vehicle. |
Use public transportation more often, and press your local officials to have hydrogen or natural gas buses running. |
Try to limit the amount of smoking you do if you are a smoker. And please put the butts in an ashtray or in a PROPER sandpit. |
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Adopt a pet from a local shelter instead of buying one from a Pet store. An older dog will most likely be housebroken or have more training than a puppy. This will help find homes for animals that don't have one and stop the puppy mills. By supporting the local shelter, you make sure that homeless animals are well taken care of, and not roaming the streets. |
Change your diet. If you limit the amount of meat and dairy that you consume, you can save animals from a short lifetime of cruel living. Not only can you save animals, but you can keep yourself healthy as well. Beef and diary products contain vast amounts of hormones that are used to keep dairy cows continuously making milk and beef cows "making" more meat. Not to mention that beef is the largest source of dioxin exposure that most Americans get. |
Have your pet spayed or neutered. |
If you see animal that appears neglected, abused, or you see an animal being abused, call your local SPCA, Animal Rights organization, or police department immediately. |
Stop buying or limit the amount of products you buy that are made from animal products, byproducts, or animal skins. Things like furs and leather are obvious standouts, but other things such as down pillows and health products. For example, many HRT drugs are made from the urine of a pregnant mare. Musk perfume (the real stuff) is made from the scents that some animals produce to attract the females. Rabbits feet may be considered lucky, but take into account that the rabbit had four of them. |
Shop cruelty free. Many beauty products, toys, and stuff we use everyday are tested on animals. These include razors, toys that fire projectiles, eye makeup, skin products, and shampoo. Most labels will say if they're not tested on animals. If there is no label, ask the company. Organizations like PETA, publish lists on companies that test their products on animals, get their products from animals, or are completely cruelty free. These lists are available if you ask. |
Tell your political leaders to strengthen animal cruelty laws. The states need more help in their SPCA departments. For example, for NYC and it's around 6 million pets, there are only ten ASPCA police officers (Yes ASPCA officers in NYC have full police power). Most offences are only severely punished if the animal hurts a person. Drug manufacturers, toy companies, beauty product makers, etc., do not have to say whether or not their products are cruelty free, nor are there laws limiting animal testing. |
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Do not allow the drilling of the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge. |
Gasoline in your vehicle starts at the dealership when you’re going to buy it. Take a look at the miles per gallon rate. Even if you don’t get exactly what is on the picture, take in to consideration how much you’re going to use it, and the current price of gas. A sporty car might look nice but if you’re going to use it nearly every day, those gas bills will add up. Trucks are good as work horses, because they do the job they’re designed for. Even better are those vehicles that use solar, biofuels, hydrogen and other renewable sources of energy. When you get your new vehicle home, take a few minutes to read the manual. Learn what the proper tire pressure should be for all four tires, and what kind of gasoline is best. Cheaper gas than what works best can ruin the engine over time. Under inflated tires forces the engine to work harder and burn more gas than it should. Frequently check the pressure by getting into the habit of checking once a week. Make sure to check the engine at least once a month. Keeping the engine properly tuned and clean will also help it burn less fuel. |
Stop nuclear power from being developed. |
Support the use of renewable resources. |
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Check all the doors. Consider adding door guards to the bottom of them. |
Check your insulation. Is it at proper levels? |
Check your heater. Is it working properly? If you have central air, is it energy efficient? |
Check your windows. Heat loss is high when you have old windows that are not properly made to keep in heat. Consider replacing them with new windows that limit the amount of heat loss. |
Make sure the attic and walls have proper levels of insulation. |
Replace an older thermostat with a setback thermostat. This allows you to program your heater / air conditioning to come on when you need it and shut off when you don’t. This not only saves electricity, it saves money. |
Turn off lights in rooms where they are not being used. |
Turn the thermostat down by one degree |
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For the bedroom: |
If you need an air conditioner, limit it's use. Keep the door closed to hold in the cool air and consider using a fan when the air conditioner is not in use to keep the cool air circulating. |
If you have a ceiling fan, during the winter have the blades run counter-clockwise. This will draw heat that's escaping to the roof, and bring it back down to the room. |
Try the new bulbs that are guaranteed to last for five years. These may cost more, but will save money in energy bills and replacements. |
Watch how many electronics are on at one time. Does your printer need to be on when you're not using it? How about your DVD player? Try and see how many electronics are on, and you're not using them. Turn them off if you can. |
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During the summer, consider cooking simple meals. This keeps the amount of energy and heat going into your home down. This also cuts down on the amount of washing needed to be done, which saves water during a critical time. |
During the winter, it is NOT a good idea to use the stove or oven to heat your home. This can lead to gas and carbon monoxide build up your home. A gas leak can trigger an explosion. Carbon monoxide can kill. An open flame can cause a fire. THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE! |
If you use a dishwasher, use it on full loads as much as possible. This not only saves energy, but water too. If replacing, consider the most energy efficient model. Make sure the soap doesn't contain phosphorus. |
Keep the vent over the stove on while cooking during summer months. This helps to draw the hot steam and vapors away from the room, and helping to keep the room cool without having to turn up the air conditioning. |
Reduce, reuse, and recycle. This can be done with lots of items that will be listed in the recycling section. Buy and use reusable items, not disposable ones. When eating, use cloth napkins (cheap versions) not paper towels. Try buying products with less packaging, and try to buy less plastic. This can save energy in having to go to the store, and having the products made. |
Replace old refrigerators with new energy efficient models. Be careful in that some refrigerators with the frig and the freezer standing side by side may be the least energy efficient. |
Try not to use the stove or oven any longer than you have too. |
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Check your hot-water heater. Have it cleaned and keep it maintained. |
Choose a front-loading washer. This type is energy efficient and saves lots of water. Make sure your detergent doesn't contain phosphorus. |
Choose an energy efficient dryer. There are some models that will choose the temperature and drying time for you. |
Energy efficient lighting works everywhere! |
Make sure windows are kept closed during the winter. During the summer if you have no air-conditioning, keep a window in the top floor open to draw out heat. If you have air-conditioning, keep them closed. |
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Buy foods that are locally grown. |
Try to limit the amount of meat, poultry, and fish you eat. |
Try to eat (totally organic) foods. (This means that everything in the product from start to finish is certified organic) |
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Don't try to put in a lawn where one isn't meant to be. If you go to the desert to escape your allergies, why would you want to put in a lawn? |
Eat less red meat and dairy products. Cattle and dairy cows use up acres of land for feeding. Not to mention that some of the rainforest destruction is for cattle grazing (yes you might be eating Brazilian meat) |
Help to get laws pass that mandate open space in every county of your state. Protest when a new store such as the home depot or wal-mart coming into your area. These stores not only eat up acres of beautiful open space, they bring with it tons of trash, traffic, crime, and drive out all local businesses. Not to mention they put more people out of work than they hire. |
If you're buying a home, try not to pave over too much, and keep as much of the natural growing vegetation, including trees, as possible. |
Plant native trees. (Contact your local Forestry department to see which trees are native to your area) |
Support your local farmers. |
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Don't wear animal fur, skins, etc. |
Eat less meat and dairy products. This saves more land for wildlife. It also saves the animals from a short-life time of severe cruelty. |
Get passed and support laws that ban having exotic animals for pets. This includes: snakes, cats like Bengal tigers, wolves, wolf-dogs, monkeys, gators, etc. Get passed laws that punish those who buy and sell these exotic animals severely. Don't buy these animals. |
Do not go to circuses, rodeos, or any entertainment shows that feature live animal acts. Often these animals are severely mistreated in order to "train" them. |
If you live / vacation in an area where bears have been spotted you have to remember that bears can smell food from a great distance even if it’s locked in a car. So be sure to lock up all food in air-tight containers and put trash in bear-proof cans. The less a bear can smell food the less likely it will be tempted to wonder into campsites / neighborhoods. This also works for wild cats, coyotes, and smaller animals like racoons |
Shop cruelty free. |
Stop the drilling for oil in places like the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge. |
Work towards restoring a balance in our national parks. While deer, elk, and other animals are cute and peaceful looking, they can rapidly destroy an area with their huge appetites for vegetation like grass and shrubs. The best way to balance their numbers is by restoring natural predators like wolves, mountain lions, coyotes, etc. These animals, when given a chance, can balance out the numbers of the vegetation eaters without the need for large man-made hunts. |
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Choose to have fewer children (1 or 2). |
Consider adoption or being a foster parent to a dog or cat. |
Practice and use birth control methods. (For more help on this contact any local AIDS helpline, or nearest clinic.) |
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Carpool |
If you're going to use your car, try to do several errands on one trip. |
Limit the use of air-conditioning. |
Lobby for the manufacturing of pollution-free vehicles. Not just for your own use, but also in public transportation. |
Lower your energy consumption |
Lower your personal vehicle use - Combine trips, make fewer stops, don't allow the car to idol for long periods, keep it tuned, and keep the tires properly inflated. |
Stop using dangerous chemicals. |
Try to get a refrigerator and / or air-conditioner that doesn't use CFCs. |
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Buy less and make sure to buy products with less packaging. |
Consider donating your car and old computer to a local charity. They can sell the parts or give the whole thing to someone in need. |
Consider starting a compost heap in your backyard. |
Donate old clothes, books, toys, shoes, furniture, etc (all in reasonable condition) to the Salvation Army, local shelter, or Veteran's organization. They will help find new use for your old stuff and save space at a landfill allowing for someone who really needs that stuff to get it. |
Donate your old eyeglasses to places that collect them. They will take the glasses and give them to those who can't afford them. New Eyes for the Needy is just one of the organizations that does this. |
If the item you have purchased is small enough, put it in your bag. |
If you have a party or banquet, don't throw out the leftover food that is still edible. Instead call a local church or homeless center, and give them the food. Already prepared food is some of the best donations (besides time and money) that a shelter can get. |
If you "scoop" your dog, dump the stuff in a compost heap, or put it in a paper bag. The paper bag will eventually allow the stuff to decompose fast. |
Lobby for good recycling laws in your state. |
Make sure that you separate your recycling goods. Check to see which types of trash can be recycled. |
Make sure that your state is not only recycling its trash, but make sure that the manufacturers are buying it back. Make sure that they're not importing goods that have their own individual packing. |
Reuse plastic bags or consider using cloth bags. |
Try to buy goods that are made from pre and post consumer recycling products. |
Try to use re-useable diapers. Disposable diapers are a hazard and last forever. |
Try to limit the amount of plastic you buy. |
When building try to minimize the amount of waste products generated. |
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Build a bat house. At night bats can help keep mosquito populations down. |
Buy and consume less. Wastes are generated with everything we buy and do. |
Don't keep standing water around your home, (Tires, birdbaths, empty flower pots, empty buckets, etc are all examples) these give mosquitoes excellent breeding grounds. |
Don't use pesticides or fertilizers on your lawns, plants, gardens, etc. Instead use compost for fertilizer and find alternative means to pesticides. A new organic fertilizer comes from the Terracycle All Natural Plant Fertilzer company. |
Don't use pesticides in your home. Instead learn the cause of why these bugs and pests are in your home. Many times it's due to dampness, dirt, mulch near foundations, leaks, etc. Fixing these conditions usually stops the problem. Consider using an electric sonic pest chaser, or organic bug repellents. Common bug repellents can be made out of borax, garlic, etc. |
Eat organic foods. (Make sure that if it's a product like cereal that it's totally organic.) This lowers pesticide and fertilizer use. |
Have the current laws dealing with these wastes strengthened and enforced. |
If your energy comes from nuclear, try to lower the amount you use. |
If your town is considering nuclear power, lobby against it. Instead push for renewable energy such as solar and wind. |
Keep surfaces, especially in your bathroom and kitchen, in your house clean and dry. Moisture and food particles attract pests. |
Use non-toxic substances in your home. For example you use lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar for cleaning. |
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Don't wash your car with a hose. Instead use a bucket with water, or take your car to an automated car wash. |
Don't use water to sweep your sidewalks, driveway, etc. |
| Don't install a fountain or something similar unless it uses recycled water. |
DO NOT OPEN FIRE HYDRANTS |
REPORT OPEN FIRE HYDRANTS |
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Consider using gray water for flushing. |
Don't let the water run when shaving or brushing your teeth. |
Fix all leaks. By repairing leaks you can avoid costly repairs and stop mold from breading. Mold can cause severe allergies and some forms can damage the human body causing things like mental deterioration. |
Instill a low consumption showerhead. |
Limit the amount of time you spend in the shower. |
Put a weight inside of the toilet tank. This keeps the tank level high so it doesn't have to refill each time it's used. (Only if you have a non-low flush toilet) The weight should be heavy enough to keep the water level up and light enough not to crack the tank. |
Put in a low-water flushing toilet. (Some can flush with as little as 1 gallon) |
Water your lawn and outside plants ONLY in the early morning hours. |
When waiting for the water to warm and adjust for a shower, collect the water in a bucket and use it for cleaning or watering plants. |
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Don't use any more water that what's needed for boiling. If you're boiling water to make instant coffee, tea, cocoa, etc., save the extra water to water plants with once its cooled. |
Don't use running water for thawing. Instead put meats, poultry, etc in the refrigerator overnight. This is the safest way of thawing meat. (If you're using a particularly large bird such as a turkey, it may take more thawing time in the frig) |
Keep water in a jug or bottle in the refrigerator. This eliminates the need to run tap water and wait for it to get cold. |
Make sure the use the dishwasher only when it's full. |
Repair all leaks. By repairing leaks you can avoid costly repairs and stop mold from breading. Mold can cause severe allergies and some forms can damage the human body causing things like mental deterioration. |
Soak really dirty pans overnight to help it clean easier and save water. Sometimes soaking with a solution of vinegar and cream of tarter can help some clean some dirty pans. |
Use the water collected from the shower (the amount collected while waiting for it to warm up) for cleaning floors, watering plants, etc. |
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Consider getting a front-loading washing machine as they use considerably less water than a top-loading machine. |
Fix all leaks. By repairing leaks you can avoid costly repairs and stop mold from breading. Mold can cause severe allergies and some forms can damage the human body causing things like mental deterioration. |
Make sure that the hot-water heater is working properly. Consider wrapping it with a hot-water heater blanket. Do not make one yourself. There are properly made blankets availble for purchase. |
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Do not dump hazardous substances down the sink, toilet, storm sewer, or storm drain. This includes motor oil. Call your local county hazardous collection site and ask about the proper methods of disposal. |
Limit your use of household chemicals including cleaning agents, pesticides, paint, finger nail polish remover, bleach, etc. If you can, try to find environmental friendly alternatives. |
Have the laws on pollution of water strengthened and enforced. |
If you go to an area that you've been at before and you see something that is different about the water, do not use it. This can include changes in: color, clarity, taste, movement, etc. If you see lot of algae in a place that never had any, dead fish and / or dead animals near or in the water, a loss of vegetation, etc. report the change to your local county official. If there is no problem you will be told so, if there is a problem it can be stopped and corrected before it gets worse. Another warning sign of problem water could be illness or allergic type reactions - in the water, if you feel burning, nausea, vision problems, severe itching, get out and let an official know. If after you leave the water area and you experience these symptoms especially diarrhea, get to a doctor and call the official. |
If you see someone dumping in an area that doesn't support it, report it to the police immediately. |
When you're at the beach or any source of water recreation, do not throw any garbage into it. Do not use the water area, including the ocean, as a toilet as this can spread harmful bacteria that can cause disease. |
