Agnipravo Sengupta
Did you know that on an average, each American generates 4.5 pounds of trash daily? Or one glass of bottle of water can generate enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours? It’s astonishing how little we think of the chaos we are causing so casually.
It is highly essential for you to be a responsible citizen of the planet, and take the first major step to preserve its fast-depleting natural resources. And let the first step begin at your own doorstep. Just 10 simple adjustments and you will be all good to go:
#1. Do not turn on the light during day; open the windows instead. Turn off the lights and the fan when you are leaving the room, even it is for just a minute. Also make sure to go for energy-efficient appliances which come with an ENERGY STAR.
#2. Change all the lightbulbs of your home (even if it is one at a time). Go for the Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) which uses 66% less energy.
#3. Plant trees around your house to provide you with shade during the summer months. This will make you use the AC less.
#4. Get the insulation checked on regular intervals. Under-performing insulation eats up a lot of energy.
#5. Turn the faucet off when you are brushing your teeth or shaving. Install low-flow cisterns in the toilets which release less volume of water per flush.
#6. Avoid throwing away polythene plastic bags. Instead of throwing the plastic bags away, re-use them as long as possible. When unusable, dispose them in recycle bins.
#7. Use zero-VOC paints when you decide on coloring the walls of your home. Conventional paints contain toxic compounds which can cause negative health effects. Go for light-colored reflective paint on the exterior walls to reflect back sunlight and keep the house cooler.
#8. Go for walkways, flowerbeds and drought-resistant plants in your yard. Thus, you will use less water for the yard. You can also store rainwater and use it to water the yard.
#9. Dirty air filters make the AC work harder to cool the room. Clean the air filters of the AC at least once a month.
#10. Avoid using napkins and paper towels unless it is very necessary. Make good use of the old cloth towels and buy a couple of bar towels as replacements.
Sikander@87
