ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

 

Become Part of the Solution, TODAY

 

Global warming is a major issue, with scientists confirming its effects on the world's climate. Strange weather patterns are further reminding everybody of how we need to respect and protect our earth.The cause of global warming is an excessive level of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere, which act like an insulating layer, thus causing the earth to become warmer. Even slight increases in the earth’s temperature can cause massive changes in weather, rising sea levels due to ice-pole melting and other potentially disastrous effects. Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth) and Tim Flannery (The Weather Makers) are just two of many public figures who are working hard to educate the world about the urgency of our current situation. We are on the verge of possible disaster and we all need to take action NOW to try and prevent irreversible changes to our precious planet.

 

It is time for us to wake up that our current lifestyle is NOT working with regards to its effect on our environment. Particularly in first world countries, our lives have been inundated with conveniences and luxuries that consume huge amounts of energy. If we wish to continue this kind of lifestyle, we should be responsible and make sure we are using renewable energy sources.

 

The following are just some of the things that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

 

1. Install Solar Hot Water - Install an Apricus solar water heater. An Apricus 30 tube collector can reduce your carbon footprint by more than 2000kg / 4400lb annually.

2. Change to Green Power - Offered by many power companies, green power is produced from renewable sources such wind, hydro, tidal or thermal solar. If your power company doesn't offer green power, call them to ask why not. Maybe it is time to change to a supplier that does!

3. Energy Efficient Appliances - Use energy efficient white goods (e.g. 5 star rating)

 

4. Use a Clothes Line - Use a clothes line instead of a clothes dryer that wastes huge amounts of electricity. This seems to particularly to be an issue in the US, where a "comfortable" lifestyle has resulted in the use of electricity instead of clean free sunshine to dry clothes (unlike most other developed countries). Clothes lines are an eye-sore, and many HOAs (Home Owners Associations) do not allow them! Just think about the state of your local community if global warming results in dramatic climate change! It is time for everybody to be a little more responsible and realistic about our lifestyle choices. Clothes lines are available in many designs, able to mount on the wall of the house, and fold away when not being used.

5. Use low flow shower heads - Use a low flow shower head which can reduce your hot water energy usage by 30-40%, and reduce household water usage. You can then not only enjoy your shower, but also know you are helping our environment.

 

6. Use low energy light bulbs - Change your antiquated incandescent light bulbs to high efficiency fluorescent low energy light bulbs. They not only last longer, but run cooler (good in the summer) and use only 15% of the energy of incandescent light bulbs. This will immediately save you money and greatly reduce your energy bills.

 

7. Turn off lights - Don't leave all your lights on all the time. Turn OFF a light when you leave a room.

 

8. Insulate your house - Ensure your house is not "leaking" air, especially during the summer and winter when you are using energy to keep your home comfortable. Draft stop your windows and doors, use insulating window shades/curtains and install roof insulation.

 

9. Trade in your SUV - Trade in your Hummer for something that is a little more fuel efficient, the best being hybrid cars. This will save you lots of money and greatly reduce your CO2 emissions. If you are driving a car that is getting worse than 20mpg or 12L/100km, you are driving an inefficient car!

 

10. Get off your butt! - Walk, cycle or take public transport. If you drive to work, car-pool where possible.

 

11. Lobby - Lobby your local politicians about ensuring that your local community is supportive of renewable lifestyle options.

 

12. Recycle - Recycle as many items as you can, whenever you can. Get a recycling bin for your home and office and recycle! It takes no more time to live a life which is conscious of the environment than to live a life which destroys it.

 

If you can only check off one or two of these items today, WAKE UP, as you are a MAJOR contributor to global warming. It is time to change that......TODAY. Please realise that these changes will not COST you money long-term, and they will not degrade your lifestyle. They will save you money, and you can sleep at night with the knowledge that you are part of the SOLUTION, not the PROBLEM.