Rider Times
How To Go GreenFriday, May 20, 2011 By Elizabeth Speight
A lot of people do not understand what’s going on with the Earth. People don’t understand the dangers we are in. They don’t know why it’s hot one day and then cold the next; why the ice caps are melting; or why you just see trash everywhere on the streets, in trees, in water. They don’t know that there are many things they can do to help the Earth like unplugging electronics or using reusable bottles instead of plastic ones. In this article, I’d like to share with you some easy ways you can help the environment. Take these simple and easy steps to go green: Plugs The first step you can take is just unplugging all of the plugs that you are not using. Then once you need them you can just plug it back up and be ready to go. You would be amazed by the difference you can make on your own. Did you know that when you unplug something from out of the socket you save about $10 a month on your electricity bill? Lights The second way you can go green is by turning off the lights when you leave a room. It also may seem like it’s not a big deal but it actually is. A lot of people think that they need the lights for everything, but when you are at work do you really need to leave your lights on at home? Even if you did, you could use the sunlight as much as possible. The sun is a very powerful source of light and energy. The electricity used just for home lighting on average accounts for over 10% of the total household energy used. So we should make sure once we leave a room the lights are turned off. Recycle The third major thing you can do is recycle, which is something basic that anyone can do. You can recycle many different things like glass, plastic, aluminum, steel, and even newspaper. A lot of these things are household items so once you are finished with them you could put them in a recycling bin and the garbage collectors could come and pick up all of things and put them to better use. Did you know that about 60% of our rubbish thrown away today could be recycled, but we choose not to do it? Another easy way to make sure you are recycling is when you are washing dishes and you break a glass. Don’t throw it in the trash can. Instead, just put it in the recycling bin. Reuse Another way to go green is to always think about reusing things. One thing that people have a problem with is plastic. Instead of you buying plastic bottles all the time you could just use one reusable bottle, like a Nalgene. Another way you can go green is by carrying reusable bags when you go to the store. Reusable bags are better for the Earth because using them produces less waste. Reusable bags are here on this earth so we don’t have to keep getting plastic bags and just throwing them away. It turns out that Americans use over 300 billion plastic bags annually. So that’s why we should use reusable bags--they are better for the Earth. Now I know all of this sounds like a lot but I also know you can do it. All you have to do is take it just one step at a time. Try to do something that fits your lifestyle. You can get other people to try it with you. If we succeed with taking these steps, we can save the world. |