Is your Carbon Footprint Fairy happy with your contribution?
If not, consider the following:
1. Walk it when you can–If it’s a fairly short journey of a mile or two and there aren’t any Menacing Moose or Killer Kittens in your vicinity, then why not just walk it (or powerwalk it) instead?
But if the longest distance you’ve walked in a while is from your living room to the kitchen, then you might wanna start out with the shorter trips and build up to it.
Caution: Walking regularly may lead to good looks, good health, insane amounts of energy and a sense of elation that often lasts for hours (resulting from nature’s happy drug known as Endorphins). Oh, and it saves you some money too.
2. Muzzle up that gas guzzler– If your Car/Truck or Monster Truck qualifies as the equivalent of an uninvited Raccoon in the automobile world, it’s time you put a muzzle on it and move onto greener pastures.
So, consider switching over to a hybrid or an electric. Or if you really wanna air on the side of going green, get a Horse Cart instead.
3. Drive like you’re sailing– A dramatic driving experience (where you’re constantly hitting the accelerator and the breaks back and forth, whilst taking every turn at hair-raising speeds) may sound like fun. But what it really does is eat up more Fossils, resulting in a very uneconomical driving experience and a heartbeat that sounds like the next Club Anthems compilation.
So, the more economical and greener option would be to keep it as steady as a yacht sailing through still waters, but without actually “sailing” through a dozen red lights in the process. You can accomplish this in part by having a quick glance at the Traffic updates before planning out your journey.
4. Avoid private jets (unless they’re powered by Condors) – Private Jets leave a huge carbon footprint in the sky, much similar to that of a dinosaur footprint in fresh snow. That might not be so bad if the Jet were carrying at least a hundred passengers or if it were intended for a special celebration like a Wedding Anniversary. But it’s not so sexy when it’s occupied by a handful of people who could have easily opted to fly First Class, Business Class, Economy or just take a Raft.
5. Embrace the Stars(i.e. the Energy Stars) – The Energy Stars indicate how efficient, economical and environmentally friendly an appliance is. So, unless you love spending a bunch more on Electricity, have something personal against the Environment and enjoy the company of appliances that sound like croaking frogs, then get into the habit of checking the Energy Star rating before buying your appliances in the future.
6. Knock out the lights (Without resorting to total darkness or carnosine lamps) – One of the resources we take for granted is lighting because having to tap a wall switch every time you go in and out of a room/building is no fun. You don’t have to do that as much for rooms that you use more frequently. But for the rooms that you just light up for “decorative purposes” and rarely use, it does make a difference.
Also, consider switching to low wattage (5-30 watt) energy saver bulbs, LED bulbs or daylight bulbs. They outlast most celebrity marriages and weight loss programs. Daylight bulbs also come with added therapeutic benefits, much similar to what you would experience with real sunshine but without the tanning and the extra vitamins.
7. Recycle like crazy– Recycle as much of what you use as possible.
And if you no longer have a need for something that’s still in perfectly usable condition and that wasn’t passed down to you through 10 family generations, give it to someone who would have a use for it.
8. Put out the fire– Don’t keep your appliances on standby. And don’t have the heating or air conditioning running when you’re out and about.
Also with the heating, consider lowering the thermostat setting by a couple of degrees during the daytime if you’re comfortable with it. You may not feel the difference right away. But you will when the bill shows up.
9. Cozy up– Give your home an insulation makeover. Could you be paying more to heat up the environment as well?
10. Go Solar– Ticked off with your Electricity bills? Then look into the possibility of getting some solar panels installed. But do your due diligence first as solar panels are pretty expensive and aren’t suitable for most houses for a number of reasons. And, they may not be as cost effective.
But if it turns out to be right for you, you’ll have the pleasure of paying for all your future utility bills with an extra wide grin.
11. Buy from local farmers with love– Much of what we eat is imported. And regardless of the cost, it does leave us with a Godzilla-sized carbon footprint to deal with.
So, buy from local farmers whenever you can. Your Fruits and Vegs might even taste “less rubbery” that way.
12. Embrace the Power of the mighty vegetable– Farming animals for poultry purposes is a costly process. We have to first grow the food for the animals. Then we have to harvest and transport that food over… for the animals. And after years of waiting for them to poof up and get brutally murdered, we go through the trouble of preserving and transporting the meat all the way to our Dinner tables.
Then after a few long years of indulging in poultry, our Doctors tell us that we have Cancer, Heart disease, mad Siamese disease or something along those lines and tell us that continuing to consume animal proteins could lead to further implications.
So why not just avoid the whole ginormous carbon footprint altogether and eat something that’s far less likely to kill us like some fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds or some pulses instead?
