The term “going green” has become an increasingly popular slogan for environmental awareness and preservation. However this coined phrase is not only an international campaign but a lifestyle that more and more people are adopting as a way of life, particularly teens and young adults. The advantages of “going green” are not only beneficial for the environment but for your wallet as well. Keep in mind that everyone can hop on the green bandwagon by gradually incorporating daily habits that will help preserve the environment and your savings.
One thing we can all do to conserve energy is as easy as the flip of a switch. Make sure all lights and appliances in the house are turned off and unplugged when not in use. When you're done surfing the web and instant messaging your friends, turn your computer off. If you shut your machine off before bedtime, you'll save an average of $90 worth of electricity a year. If you must leave your computer on, tell it to go into "sleep" or "hibernate" mode, which saves power as well.
Another way to cut costs and preserve energy at home is to revise your laundry routine. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine wash clothes goes to heating the water. You can also use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.
Start to walk or bike to school and work. This not only saves on gas and parking costs, but this activity also assists in the improvement of your cardiovascular health and reduces your risk of obesity.
It’s important to your health to consume the recommended daily water intake, but trade out expensive bottled water for a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.
Lastly, visit your local library instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.
Now that you have some insight on how we can all reduce our carbon footprint by modifying our daily activities, pass the word on to friends and family and educate them on how easy it is to go green. Your parents may even increase your allowance after they see how much money they saved by conserving household energy.
