Perhaps I should first explain that I have not always been environmentally aware, nor indeed am I considered by those who know me to be your stereotypical "Eco Warrior". Quite honestly I am not naturally an outdoorsy type of person, although indeed I thought (erroneously, I now find, of course!) that this was perhaps a pre-requisite to "going green".
It is quite one thing for me to enjoy long walks in the New Forest - a beautiful place which certainly leaves me inspired by nature - but as for the more determined nature type thing eg. my holiday nights spent in a field under the stars (well OK then, maybe under a canvas tent)? Oh deary me, no. Why would I want to worry about creepy crawlie things slithering past, and not being able to see beyond the end of a flickering torchlight, when instead I could be relaxing in a luxury hotel room with all the comforts: running water, electricity, air conditioning (or indeed central heating - depending on the time of year, you understand)...
But then, little by little (and with some thanks to the ever increasing media attention that this whole "green" issue attracts) the "energy saving" light dawned on me; I realised that I could actually enjoy spending my time the way I want to, but without costing the earth (literally). Simple changes in my lifestyle (and nothing too drastic which would make me act or outwardly appear any different to those who knew me) could make a difference. Things like switching off excess lights round the home; running less water in the bath; opening a window instead of cooling the air around me electronically. It suddenly made sense! Not only was I going to be helping to save the planet, I was going to be saving money too - so there was definitely a reason to try to do both.
Actually it only became finally clear when I saw a great new website with lots of eco-friendly products on it earlier this year (I was looking for an item in particular - and yes I found it - just see bottom of this page if you are curious as to what it was!) .... when I started to read about how the earth is damaged by some of the stuff we all do without realising it, and that's when I started taking a bigger interest in lowering my own carbon footprint**. Anyway, I digress. If you want to make an ecofriendly effort too (no matter how small - it will all be worth it, in the end - as long as we don't all spend too long just thinking about it folks!) then maybe take a look at the hints and tips reproduced below from one area of the site on Wikaniko-world which I found. Wikaniko, by the way, is pronounced "We Can Eco" - good, eh? Here is part of their list of Hint & Tips:
1. Shower instead of having baths
2. Using a low flow shower head a family of four can cut water usage by as much as 280 gallons a month - and yet not feel much difference in water pressure.
3. Install a water butt for watering gardens and flowers
4. Get a device that that transfers your sink water etc. to a water butt
5. Use rechargeable batteries where possible
6. If you need to throw batteries away make sure to recycle them
7. As your light bulbs go replace them with Energy saving light bulbs. This will greatly reduce your electric costs and they last much longer.
8. Fit electricity regulating plugs on all appliances especially on fridge and freezer as these are energy guzzlers, this will regulate the amount of electricity they use.
9. Don't leave doors open on fridges and freezers
10. Defrost your freezer as often as possible to ensure it remains as efficient as possible
11.Don't replace white goods unnecessarily. If you need to though make sure to recycle the old and when you get your new make sure it is as energy efficient as possible.
12.You don't have to buy new! Before you hit the shops to buy your new item of furniture, have a look at web sites such as freecycle
13.Using solar panels is a great way to save electricity. You don't have to kit your whole house out with them, using them for your outside lighting is one way, and you can get portable solar chargers for things like your mobiles and mp3 players, which not only save electricity but are incredibly handy!
14.Remove yourself from junk mail lists. This will take a few months to kick in but will reduce the amount of paper waste you have significantly.
15.When you go food shopping take your own bags with you. There are a great range of re-useable bags available from net to recycled juice cartons. Or you can use biodegradable bags.
16.When you go shopping don't buy produce that has unnecessary wrapping, like polystyrene trays. Buy as much loose fruit and veg as you can.
17.Buy fruit and veg that is seasonal. Try to avoid food that has traveled long distances, and been flown in, as this adds to pollution, and buying from your area supports your local farmers.
18.Get a rain harvester to catch the rain, this then goes through a small filter system and can be used to flush the toilet, shave etc
19.To save water you can fit spray taps to your sinks you can either fit new taps, install metal screw-in adapters or buy cheap rubber versions to push on to the end of your taps.
20.To save water when you flush the toilet you can put a full 1 litre plastic bottle in the cistern, which will reduce the amount of water used per flush, whilst still being effective.
Well, that's just 20 quick tips from the site; you will have to visit the website for the rest of them - but it's worth a quick visit anyway. You will learn more about the environment, access Free e-kards (if you want them), as well as some online "Eco games" to play - Great fun!
OK - now I'll tell you: one of the products I bought there was a "Waspinator". I hate wasps (sorry, wasp lovers - if any exist?) but this is a simple device which mimics a wasp nest and deters the little blighters from flying into your picnic or garden area. Small, compact, effective (and useful for pub gardens, too).
See the full list of helpful hints at: http://www.Wikaniko-World.com and view over 650+ eco-friendly products (for households, business, gardens & gadgets, including cosmetics, toiletries, stationery etc)
For FREE to play games (with a message to help children - and adults - have fun while learning about the environment) visit: http://www.EcoGamesOnline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Teresa_Steventon
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