10 things to keep your carbon footprint in check

An article from The Guardian reveals that the earth now releases 48 % more carbon dioxide out of energy consumption than how it did in 1992, when the first Rio summit was held. Carbon footprint emissions have caused immense damages not only to people’s health, but also to the environment. As a result, many individuals around the world have begun to take initiatives to minimize the amount of carbon emissions they produce on a daily basis.

One of the ways you may also keep your carbon footprint levels minimal is by introducing kids and family to sustainable living. Your effort in doing this, though, will be useless if you don’t play your part in maintaining an eco-friendly home. By persevering and being determined, surely you can come up with creative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing the quality of your lifestyle.

Preserve heat Draughts cause considerable amount of energy loss by losing heat. You can lower 50 % of heat loss through installing double glazing in your windows, this, in turn can reduce your heating bill up to 90 GBP a year. Make sure to properly install the double glazing as gaps in its outer part can still cause heat loss. Subsequently, you will be amazed to see the levels of your carbon emission lower significantly, when you measure them using your carbon calculator.

Energy-efficient windows Young kids love to play near the windows. Make sure to maximize the protection of your kids’ health by installing energy-star rated windows. These windows may cost you a considerable amount of money. But, the benefits these windows bring make all that money spent worth it and won’t bring you any regrets down the road.

Eco-friendly lights Compliment your home with the cute curly-shaped compact fluorescent light bulbs. Fluorescent lights conserve over two-thirds of energy, as compared to a regular incandescent. You can save $40 or more by using each fluorescent light bulb.

Pamper your family with bigger savings by cutting back on expensive electricity bills, thanks to the benefits fluorescent light bulbs give. You would not need to worry about power outage, since fluorescent lights come in handy even without electricity.

Opt to play more outdoors Kids can help reduce carbon footprint by minimizing indoor play, and instead, focus on enjoying outdoor play. Playing outdoors helps conserve energy from being overused and wasted. Entice your kids’ interest to play with your backyard play equipment, instead of staying inside your house playing video games. Digital gadgets emanate harmful radiation that can ultimately have detrimental impacts on your kids’ health. Engage in interactive play with your kids in your playground to make them see the benefits an eco-friendly activity gives.

Water plays a big part See to it that a thick jacket insulates your hot water tank, to save on expenses, while at the same time, reducing carbon emissions. If you are living in a condo, you may choose to have your in-house plumber insulate your hot water tank with a thick jacket, for your convenience. Usually the services of a condo in-house plumber are complementary, or may only charge a minimal fee. A dripping tap is not only bothersome, but also entails expensive water and water heating expenses, if it is a hot tap. Don’t forget that carbon footprint is also present in water during processing.

Watch what you eat City living gives you the privilege to easily access neighborhood grocery stores. Many grocery stores are located just within walking distance from many apartments and condos. A lot of time is available for you to maximize shopping hours in your favorite neighborhood grocery store. Do your shopping yourself and shop for more vegetable food products. One calorie of meat requires plenty of land and energy resources, in comparison to one calorie of vegetables.

Care for your fridge Maintain the upkeep of a sustainable home by giving particular attention to the location of your fridge. The location of your fridge impacts the degree of its energy efficiency. Placing your fridge against an outside wall helps the heat it produces easily escape. See to it that there is some inches’ space around the sides of the fridge to enable air to spread in circular motion.

Soft copies are better Live a sustainable lifestyle by cutting back on printing hard copies of your documents. As much as possible, save your documents in your computer or laptop. Contribute to a greener lifestyle by reducing carbon levels emitted from your printer at home. Conserve the energy that your printer would have emitted for better purposes.

Program your thermostat Keeping and maintaining a healthy living doesn’t have to cost you too much. You can buy a programmable thermostat in your neighborhood at around $50 or less, enabling you to save more in the first year and beyond. A programmable thermostat emits considerable fewer levels of carbon emissions than a traditional thermostat does. Plus, you can easily recharge a programmable thermostat, without having to worry about electricity bills.

Laptop wins over desktop Since battery life plays a major factor on laptop design, laptops are designed to be more energy efficient, as compared to a desktop computer. A laptop can be better in being energy-efficient up to 80% as compared to a desktop. Eco-friendly LCD screens, hard drives, CPU’s and adaptors all congregate into making laptops better digital tools for leading a healthy lifestyle on earth.

Coming up with the strategies to use on how to maintain sustainability in your home depends on the degree of a green lifestyle you wish to achieve. Of course, if you wish to keep and maintain an almost 100 % eco-friendly lifestyle, you will need to sacrifice letting go using sophisticated technological tools on a daily basis. It takes sheer drive and willpower to be able to make this sacrifice. Don’t be afraid to make this sacrifice, as doing so will ultimately save many lives and properties in the years to come.