Both individuals and organizations across the world are becoming more environmentally conscious than ever before. Many retailers now use paper bags instead of plastic ones. Recycled paper is used more often to make greeting cards. Paul Favret mentions that individuals should try their best to reduce their energy consumption and plastic usage for the betterment of the environment. Energy consumption not only harms the environment, but also incurs greater expenses for a person. People consume energy mostly for lighting, electronic devices, transportation and more.
Paul Favret marks a few ways that can be helpful in conserving energy in daily life
HVAC systems at home can be major energy hogs. In fact, water and space heating may account for more than sixty percent of a typical home energy use. Hence, it is smart to turn the thermostat on the furnace down, and put on a light sweater instead to stay warm. Installing a programmable thermostat to reduce energy while sleeping at night will also be a good idea. Homeowners may even invest in insulated drapes to block out heat in the summers. These drapes can also help a home to stay warm in winter. If possible, people must also consider turning down the temperature on their water heater by a few degrees.
Any modern home is likely to have multiple appliances. These appliances must be turned off or unplugged when they are not being used. Similarly, when driving, one must not let their car idle. They should turn off the ignition when parked or stopped at a light. If feasible, public transportation must be chosen rather than using personal vehicles.
Cool new electric gadgets can definitely be enticing. But before buying a new one, people must ask themselves whether they truly need it or it will just clutter their house. Each new electric gadget is likely to use energy. If a person does not buy it in the first place, they will not have any chance to consume extra energy due to it.
People should try to consider going back to the basics and use human power whenever possible. They can use a manual chopping tool to make short work of carrots and onions rather than a food processor. Such tools take minimal counter space and use only human power. One may also consider riding a bike instead of driving a car whenever possible. Doing so will be good both for the health and the environment.
Paul Favret says that with smart planning, one can also considerably save car fuel. They should categorize their errands by location, and then combine several into a single trip to save location. For example, when picking up their kid from school, one can pick up the dry cleaning and groceries on the way. Picking up a week’s worth of groceries at once would also be better than driving to the supermarket every other day. All these habits are fairly simple, but they can go a long way in reducing the energy consumption level of a person.
