Eco-ideas for better living
Would putting a forest in our homes be enough to make us eco-logical?
Well, Naruse Inokuma has designed a room containing only biocompatible materials. It would add a touch of nature to my plastic Ikea plants!
Of course, it wouldn’t be enough. Now, I’m not suggesting that we go back to old-fashioned wood-burning stoves but to start living better, we only need to take a few eco-actions:
1. Drink tap water: use the now famous Brita “water pitcher” with replaceable filters for fast and easy drinking water!
2. Generate energy: if you have no place for solar panels, then try the “Energy Tree” created by Beghelli that uses both solar and geothermal energy. The yard of my apartment building needs a new look and in summertime the temperature reaches 50°C there. So, I’ll definitely propose this at our next tenant meeting!
3. Turn off lights: my dad is obsessed with this. Perhaps I’ll give him an “Easy-off”. It’s a device that can be connected to any appliance allowing you to turn-off stand-by lights with one click.
4. Illuminate and save: these new LED lights are long-lasting and energy-saving. Unfortunately, they are not as bright as incandescent bulbs.
5. Reduce waste: use this new apartment composter to reduce organic waste volume by 80% and produce a (not bad-smelling) liquid, which can be used as compost. Unfortunately, this Electrolux product is expensive! Well, the standard composter is still a valid alternative; just keep it away from your nose!
6. Buy intelligent appliances: AAA all the way. Always choose energy-saving dishwashers and washing machines with automatic load-size recognition.
7. Re-use plastics: thanks to new bulk product dispensers in supermarkets, you can now re-use containers resulting in less plastic to recycle.
8.Use recycled paper: get rid of your prejudices. It’s not true that recycled paper is more expensive. It can be re-used up to six times, although it would start to turn yellow. Just remember that trees are not unlimited!
9. Cycle more: let’s use our bicycles to get around (foldable ones are better) and not just to reduce CO2 emissions!
I hope that you “do the right thing” about saving energy!
Technorati Tags: ecology, recycle, LED, waste, Electrolux, Ikea
13 May 2009 at 02:16
Some great tips. Unplug your phone chargers. Everyone now seems to have cell phones, and the amount of energy wasted because of unused charges is amazing!
Everyone has to do their part to help this planet conserve energy and save the environment!
11 June 2009 at 10:42
Top tips, by the way I love wood burning stoves.