Tag Archives: going green

How to Reduce Eco Footprint at Home

11/09/2021 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

If you’ve decided you want to live more sustainably and reduce your eco-footprint, there are lots of ways to start, and most will actually end up saving you money. Reducing your eco-footprint means using energy and water more efficiently and only when you really need it.

We’ve become accustomed to having food, energy, and water at our disposal and so we often think of these things as being disposable. But, in reality, these things are not available to everyone and the impact of overconsumption is being felt around the world.

So we’ve laid out some simple steps you can take to reduce your eco-footprint in your home and create a green environment for the long term.

Use Energy More Efficiently

There are lots of easy ways to use energy more efficiently in your home. Some of them you’ve likely heard about. For instance, be aware of when your lights are on and, if you can, set them on a timer to match the sunrise and sunset. Not only will this help you live greener, but it will also help your circadian rhythm match your environment.

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One of the lesser-known ways to improve your energy usage in your home is to clean your dryer filter. A dirty dryer filter will mean you’re not making the most of your energy. If you happen to have an air filter, the same issue can happen, so take the time every once in a while to clean your air filters.

Depending on your state, there are also some lucrative financing options for energy efficient and renewable energy add-ons. For example, the PACE program California helps residents in the state fund sustainability improvements for their homes. Alternatively, you can hire a general contractor in Texas to help you make professional sustainability upgrades to your home.

You can also invest in energy-saving light bulbs to streamline your energy usage at nighttime. Most people say that light-emitting diodes are the most efficient type of lighting because they use less energy and actually last longer than traditional light bulbs. Take it one step further by using solar when possible. For instance, solar powered flagpole lighting is a great option to illuminate outside of your home and it costs nothing to operate.

Use Water More Effectively

Water usage is one of the main problems we face in terms of creating a more sustainable planet. Big industries like the meat industry require massive amounts of water to maintain their production rates. If you’re willing to make a change in your diet, you might consider cutting down on meat consumption since it means saving on water and not supporting the emission of gas from cows that contributes to global warming.

If you’re not ready to make a change in your eating habits, another way to ensure you use water in an efficient way is to install some type of water filter. There are a number of different kinds of filters, but the key is that you get drinking water without having to buy plastics. Plastics are a plague on our planet and the market is driven by the processing of fossil fuels, which is one more reason to think about some type of filter.

If you live in a location that gets a lot of rain, you might think about implementing some type of rain catcher for the tub so that you always have another green way of trapping water for your watering needs. If you don’t get rain where you live but want a similar tip, just drop a bucket in the shower and collect some water for yourself that way.

Don’t Waste Food

We waste a ton of food in the modern world, which creates problems for the environment. It takes a lot of energy and water to produce our food at a mass scale and, once we’ve wasted it, it usually ends up in a landfill where the waste creates a gas that some say is more harmful to the ozone layer than carbon dioxide.

Make sure you only shop for what you need, use eco-friendly containers, or try an Oregon food delivery service that delivers ready-made meals to local residents. That way, you don’t have to worry about wasting food someone else could have enjoyed or the environmental impact of your diet.

You don’t have to break the bank or completely change your lifestyle to be more eco-friendly. Following these simple tips can help you transition to a greener lifestyle.

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4 Ways To Leverage Renewable Energy For Your Home

09/17/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Renewable energy is any power generated from natural sources like water, sun, wind, and biomass. It was estimated that renewable energy sources accounted for approximately 12% of total US energy consumption in 2020. These renewable energy sources emit little to no greenhouse gases in their production, so they are worth considering over traditional energy sources to combat climate change. Please take a look at these points if you wish to learn more about using renewable energy for your home.

Install solar panels

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Solar energy accounts for a meager 1.6% of total electricity generation in modern-day America. Nevertheless, it remains one of the popular and effective ways to generate and leverage renewable energy for your home’s needs. You can fix photovoltaic (PV) panels on your roof or in your yard. These panels harness the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity you can use to power your appliances and warm your home. Depending on the orientation and latitude of the panels, you can generate at least 10 watts of electricity per square foot for your home. Solar leasing and outright ownership are the two common ways to obtain a photovoltaic solar system for your home. Also, the question “How much are solar panels?” is a top concern for many homeowners considering solar. Although the panels’ type, size, and location can influence installation costs, you will pay anywhere between $3.30 to $4.50 per watt.

Install tubular skylights

Tubular skylights don’t generate electricity, but they produce free natural light, which you can leverage to slash your utility bills. A tubular skylight has a round metal tube, ceiling diffuser, and a roof-mounted dome. The interior of the tube has a reflective coating that reflects more than 90% of sunlight and delivers it via the diffuser, which produces a bright and soft glow of natural light. These skylights are worth considering for your roof over their traditional counterparts because they are quicker, cheaper, and easier to install.

Wind turbines

Turbines are typically found floating offshore or on huge tracts of vast land called wind farms. However, if you have enough land, you can install a small wind turbine to power your home. Wind energy is more stable and efficient than solar, and the right size wind turbine can generate most or all of your power needs easily. Nevertheless, it is critical to note that you will require sustained winds of 10 miles per hour or more to generate enough power for your home. Also, zoning regulations, local laws, and HOAs may forbid wind turbines, depending on where you reside.

Hydro power

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Hydropower is an option that won’t work for many people. However, you are in luck if you have water flowing through your property. You can divert some or all of the flowing water through a hydroelectric generator to produce electricity for your home. Consequently, find the largest vertical distance the flowing water will travel and divert it, so it flows through the generator in a regulated manner. You can produce substantial power this way, depending on the vertical distance and the amount of water. In addition, you may need to hire a professional to install your hydroelectric generator if you have no engineering knowledge. Nevertheless, hydro power’s relative stability over wind and solar makes it an excellent option to consider for your home’s energy needs if possible.

Going Green, Going Healthy, Lifestyle

Challenging Your Ideas About Waste

09/13/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

There are a “bajillion” reasons why town planning is not one of the “glamorous” positions in the public service. It doesn’t have the same appeal as say, public health management or emergency response planning.

But be that as it may, there are still creative and off-the-beat ways in which you could manage your career growth in this particular area of the public service while making a solid contribution to your community.

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“Waste management” ties together rather nicely with the more comprehensive parts of overall environmental management and of the most important areas of concern here is, waste management planning. Not to be confused with the overall management of waste, per se.

TAKING ALL ELEMENTS OF GREEN BUSINESS, INTO CONSIDERATION

An integral part of who we mean to do business with these days and how we mean to move forward is invariably going to be influenced by who you’re doing business with as much as who your intended partner is doing business with too, and this is a rather critical element of something you should be aware of: knowing your clients, clients.

WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANNING

You’re never going to get away from this topic, whether you’re from the Balkans or Arizona but, if you’re going to run as tight a ship as what you think you want to then ask yourself this: What level of waste management planning would you like to see left as a legacy of your business in your local community? It’s an important question as the problems of global waste control is not going away, nor getting easier to control. Many businesses have found other ways to plan for commercial waste disposal to help reduce their overall costs

IT STARTS WITH BEING A GREAT DAD (REALLY)

No matter how much life has changed around us, as “Dads” we still have crucial roles to play in how our children’s responsibilities are shaped. So if you’re going to change the way your community does business, start with how you do business at home and if you’re a dad with a business then involve your children in your business and let them see how you lead the way in your community with waste management and recycling.

THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF WASTE PLANNING

Before you can effectively diagnose where you’re at as a business, you also need to know what it is you mean to achieve your waste management goals. You may think that you don’t have an impact, but you do and if think that the US is leading the way…you may want to think again.

But your waste management team doesn’t have to be all that smart or overly sophisticated, you could start with something as simple as involving all of the stakeholders in your business to get involved with the decision-making that impacts each of their departments or sections. Have them present plans to control recycling and waste that directly impacts their sections of the business and if they involve their direct teams in the process that will instantly create a greater sense of awareness.

These are challenges that more and more businesses are going to have to take even more seriously than they’re currently doing and if we’re serious about getting a handle on our environmental protocols, we’re going to have to get on board.