Saving The Planet

The recent trend towards environmentally sensitive living means that there are a whole range of things you can do to save energy that will not only help the planet but positively affect your financial health as well. Some things are fairly elaborate and may cost money in the short term, while others are very simple and require only an investment of time. No matter which option you choose, you should start today. Some of the simpler things you can do to help the environment are listed as follows:

1 Make sure that your car is regularly serviced and well tuned. Older vehicles tend to use more fuel, and are harder to keep running efficiently and with less pollution, so you may need to consider upgrading. Low tyre pressures can also negatively affect performance, so check them regularly.

2 Plan your trips so that you do not have to do multiple trips, but combine them. Consider walking or riding a bicycle when covering short distances as this will not only help the environment, but also it will help you to keep fit.

3 Recycle as much as you can. Most communities now allow and encourage the recycling of aluminium cans, glass, steel, paper and cardboard products. Changing how you dispose of these things will lower the pressure on land fill tips and make available these materials for new products, a win/win situation. Some recyclers even pay you for your rubbish!

4 Insulate your home so that you lose less heat through your ceiling and walls, which may be difficult for established houses, but well worth the expense if you are able, and a must for new houses. Resealing around doors and windows will also help achieve better insulation.

5 Reduce the thermostat on your heater, and be content to put a jumper (pullover) on instead and you will save money and maybe even suffer less colds and flu as well.

6 Consider generating your own electricity. The simplest of these is to build your own wind turbine. Modern designs look more like an abstract sculpture than a classical wind mill, and as such will blend into the architecture of most houses, often being mounted on the roof. One small wind turbine can cut the amount of electricity you need to buy from your utility company by up to 60%. That can add up to a very significant savings. Turbines can be build for around $200 in a matter of a couple of days.

7 Another approach where turbines may not be appropriate is to use solar panels which generate electricity from the sun and can supply a good proportion of household needs.

Being ecologically sensitive can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. the important thing is that you decide on a course of action and then go for it. You will feel really good knowing that not only are you saving money, but you're saving the planet too.