Here you sit reading Sustainablog and thinking about how you can change your life to be more eco-friendly, but maybe you are already doing things that decrease your environmental footprint and you don’t even know it! Here are a few choices you may have made unconsciously that are really helping you save some energy and resources:
If you’re reading this blog from a laptop as opposed to a desktop computer then you are already taking a few steps on the path of sustainability. The Liquid Crystal Display screens of laptops are known to consume about 15-45 watts when on full power while desktops can use as much as 110 watts. You probably chose that laptop because it was skinny, fashionable and portable, not because it uses nearly 86% less energy than a desktop!
Enjoy fresh summer air? By opening your windows and using ceiling fans you can save approximately 40% of air conditioning costs in the warm season. Likewise, if you use ceiling fans in the winter to help bring warm air to the lower areas of a room you can save about 10% of your heating costs.
I can rarely resist stopping at local farmer’s markets, especially on my way home from the beach! If you also often purchase produce from local farmer’s markets you are promoting the use of less fuel to transport foods from point A to point B. Along with this you are supporting your local economy by putting your income directly into your neighbor’s businesses.
The last thing that I bet you do is the donation of used clothing. Every year my family goes through our belongings that no longer fit or have fallen out of style and we take them to Goodwill. This is an excellent way to encourage re-use and help those in need of clothing but also many stores will offer you compensation or a tax refund for your generous donations.
Are you closer to sustainability than you thought? Hopefully you are! If not then keep reading Sustainablog and I will continue to offer you ideas on how to become more decrease your environmental footprint!
Image Credit: jeffk at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
Bean
Also, getting your sustainability tips from the internet instead of paper publications saves trees! 🙂
Liz
What a great post! I linked to you in my little blog; this is a great reminder to pay attention to what you’re already doing and not just fret about what you should be doing.
spfpdx
Nice post!
I also linked to it today on our blog in a post about World Environment Day:
http://blog.b-e-f.org/2008/06/05/un-world-environment-day-reading-to-lighten/
Frances Sechler
Thanks so much Liz and spfpdx! I look forward to frequenting your pages and will do my best to return the linking favors! 🙂
SRINI
Nice to read something different which is not pointing a finger at one as perpetrating environmental problems!
If comp manufacturers make laptops cheaper i will replace all desktops in my business with laptops, for instance.