3 Changes You Can Make Today

03/25/2020

You don't need to go full vegan or implement huge life changes, there are a million little things we can do every day that helps to make a difference.

Cold Call

Using cold water when you can is a great way to help cut down your carbon footprint. Washing your clothes in cold water or selecting cold water for your dishwasher is a simple (just a push of a button) and effective way of helping mother Earth.

About 90% of the energy used when doing laundry goes to heating the water. Energy companies are the largest contributor of greenhouse gases worldwide, 35% of the global greenhouse emitted come from these power companies. And although, 35 is less than half it is important to note that the other 65% of greenhouse emissions come from a multitude of sources added together. But the largest, the sole contributor, is energy companies. And our day-to-day consumption makes up 21% of that 35. So what it boils down to (pun intended) is us. Our preferences play a huge role in CO2 emissions. "Washing 4 out 5 loads of your laundry in cold water and you could cut out 864 pounds of CO2 emissions in a year. That's equivalent to planting .37 acres of U.S. forest" (coldwatersaves.org).

This idea really stems from what we consider clean. We have been conditioned to believe that hot water cleans things better, it kills germs. Although that in part is true we have to understand our day-to-day activities do not expose us to germs that need to be sterilized. Our day-to-day dirt accumulation can be washed and cleaned away with cold water. Things that need to be sanitized should, of course, be washed in hot water but the majority of us are not exposed to things that need sterilization every day.

Now the tag always knows best. So if your tags say to wash in hot water or avoid cold, please follow their directions. If possible try to wash everything that needs to be washed in hot water in one load to save energy.

If you're still on the fence just remember that by switching too cold you can cut your heat bill down dramatically, and that means extra money in your pocket. Both your wallet and Mother Earth will be thanking you.

For more information check: https://coldwatersaves.org/#app

Shut Off Your Water

We have all heard this before, 'shut off the water when you're not using it'. A saying often followed by your wasting money. And although true, you're also wasting water and energy. Shutting off the water when you're not using it is an easy remedy to this problem. We all have this tendency, myself included, to let the water run when we are in the shower or washing dishes, but what that habit does is waste energy and water. Letting the faucet run for 5 mins while doing dishes can waste up to 10 gallons of water and uses enough energy to power an 18 watt light bulb for 60 hours.

Worldwide there are water shortages, especially in third world countries. Families do not have access to clean water to drink and yet we let perfectly clean water go straight down the drain. The average family uses over 180 gallons of water a week and we can cut that number down by simply turning it off when not using it. And I know it's easy to keep the water going. It's easier to let run rather than shutting it off and having to find the right temperature again which is why I suggest small changes. First, do it when you're brushing your teeth. Shut the water off and if the temperature isn't perfectly back it's not a huge deal because you only need it for a little bit. Then move to when washing your face and slowly make your way up shutting it off when lathering up in the shower.

For more information: https://www.epa.gov/watersense/statistics-and-facts

Check Your Closet

With social media and the fast-fashion industry of today, trends come and go in a blink of an eye and our consumerism nature leads us to try and follow all the trends, the newest one being 'That Girl'. Something to note though is that trends pass and often times these trends are so specific that the pieces can't be transferred to the next trend and so we buy and toss, a vicious cycle of waste.

This is why my third suggestion is probably the simplest, don't buy blindly. Now that's not to say don't buy new things but to simply consider what you're buying before you purchase. Ask yourself if will you still love this in a week? A month? A year? Check your closet, check your friend's closet. Look through your house because oftentimes you have an article of clothing or a jar or bench that can be reused. It may not be exactly the same but it'll serve its purpose. Get creative with it, look past an object's intended use and start to see all the possibilities of what you could do.

And if you really love a trend, or need a costume for one night check your local thrift stores. The clothes are in great condition but what's even better is you save some money while giving an outfit a second life without adding to fast fashion waste.