Okay folks…it’s Green Week and time to get on board if you aren’t already! Earth Day Networks estimates that 500 million people, from 4,500 organizations in 180 countries, will participate in Earth Day events during the month of April. In case you haven’t heard, the whole world is going green and you certainly don’t want to be left “out of the loop” so to get you on track, the Gorilla has a few “green tips” for you!
Like you, the Gorilla thought he was doing “okay” with “greening” everything up, but when he did a survey of his ecological footprint, (carbon footprint) he was shocked to see that he wasn’t even keeping up with the national averages, where it concerns having a mostly ”green” household. He found, in fact, that his household was doing a lot of energy wasting. Many of you are probably making the same mistakes the Gorilla is and you don’t even know it. There are so many ways to be “green” now that there is utterly no excuse for not going green! But if you are one of the “old school” people out there, who thinks the earth is going to last forever, it’s time to stop being ignorant (sorry, but true) and get with the program NOW!
A great way to get started is obviously to use those recycling bins! It may seem like a pain, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a really easy and efficient way to make a HUGE difference. The next thing you can do is check all of the thermostats throughout your home and make sure they are set higher when you leave the house. Another great way to conserve energy is to use compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s). They use half the energy, and can save you on your electric bill as well. And don’t forget to turn off all the lights that aren’t in use. How about water? Well, it seems we Americans like to bathe way too much, so cutting down on your bath/showering amounts and times will help tremendously. By changing the shower heads ,and running the bath water on a less powerful setting you can save up to 20% on your water usage. You can also STOP using that “hot” setting on your washer and only use warm or cold settings. This is such a minor tip, yet it saves a ton of energy!
Having less garbage is another great way to green up your home. Try using Tupperware instead of disposable containers, and recycle plastic storage bags by washing them and reusing them. Also, buy products with the “Green Seal Certified” label, or the “Energy Star” label for household appliances. The Gorilla could go on and on forever because there are so many different and easy ways to be “green,” but it starts right here with you in your household! Now that the Gorilla has been even more enlightened, he will make sure he is making “greener” choices when it comes to his home. If you would like to take a “Carbon Footprint” survey of your home, go to http://www.ge.com/ivillage