What You Can Do
As we come to the end of your time here at Global Green Minds, we want to leave you with this bit of information. Even though the effects of global warming/climate change are too severe to be able to completely stop them, we can do our own part in helping to slow it down. Because, who knows, maybe by doing our own bit, we can make a difference.
Here are 12 Steps to Living a "Green Mind" Life:
All of these are fairly easy to implement into you everyday life.
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
-Remember the three R's and you're set! Probably the easiest of the 12 all you have to do is make s
ure you recycle, whether it be a water bottle or an ink cartridge, whether you do it at work or at school, just make sure you recycle. Because, by only recycling half of your recyclables you can save the Earth 2,400 pounds of CO
2 emissions.
2. Change Your Lightbulbs
-By changing your current lightbulbs to energy efficient CFL lightbulbs you are guaranteed that they'll last ten times more than your current ones, because they use 2/3 less energy. So you won't just conserve energy, you'll save money too!
3. Buy Products that are Energy Efficient
-This is something to remember everytime you are a buying a new appliance or even a car. So if you're purchasing a new car, remember to get one t
hat will give you the best mileage. And when you are buying a new microwave, oven, refrigerator or a washing machine, remember to buy energy efficient (such as those with the EnergySTAR label on them).
4. Use the Heater and Air Conditioning Less
-Just by only using them when necessary you can eliminate about 2,000 pounds of carbon emmissions. So when it's cool, use a sweater instead and when it's hot, well, just remember to be careful about how long you have the air conditioning running.
5. Remember to Turn Things "Off"
-Don't leave your light on or your television on when you're home or leaving home, because if you don't then you can see an immediate decrease on you energy bill.
6. Get a "Green Job"-I know this isn't the easiest one to do, but it's worth a shot, considering the economy and the outlook for fields that incorporate "living green." So whether you want to write for an environmental magazine or work for the National Park Service, just go on websites such as
TreeHuggers or
Green Jobs and get your future started.
7. Talk to Your Utility Company
-By talking to your utility company you can fnd out exactly what is not energy efficient in your home, and not only that they just might give you rebates as an incentive to become more "green."
8. Drive Intelligently
-That's right, drive intelligently. And driving intelligently means, less driving (and having your tires inflated). However, you can save money on gas, and instead relax on the su
bway or train, or get your blood pumping by walking or bicycling.
9. Use Less Warm Water
-Did you know that by setting you water heater to 120º F you could save around 400-500 pounds of carbon from being released? Well, yes that's true. Also remember to wash clothes in cold or warm water and always have a full load of dishes before turning on that dishwasher.
10. Garden or Plant a Tree
-If you garden or have planted a tree already, congratulations, because by doing so not only have you stopped some carbon dioxide from manifesting, you have stopped approximately a ton* of carbon dioxide from being released. *The amount of CO2 a tree absorbs in its lifetime
11. Unplug-This one is a piece of cake. All you have to do is, every night, make sure you iPod chargers, cell phone chargers, your laptop chargers, essentially anything that needs to be plugged in (boombox/TV) just unplug it, each and everynight and you're well on you're way to joining the fight against global warming.
12. Tell Others
-Last but certainly not least, tell others. Tell your friends, family, close ones and even your councilmen and politicians. Advocate for the end of deforestation or carbon emmissions or simply tell others about how you recycle or how much money you saved by buying a energy efficient dishwasher, because in the end that's the key to all of this:
everyone working together.
Well, there you go. 12 Steps to Living a "Green Mind" Life. And let me tell you, not only will you be more "green", you will be pocketing more "green", if you catch my drift. In the end, however, we just need to remember that global warming is here and it's not taking a break in the neartime future, so the most important thing we can ever tell you is just:
Be aware, face the facts, be the change.