3 Ways To Cut Your Carbon Footprint This Winter

October 7, 2021 By Anne

The winter period is the coldest of the year, yet it’s the warmest in terms of how many carbon emissions are sent into the atmosphere. As a society, we’ve gotten into the habit of creating massive carbon footprints when the nights draw in. You can already think of a couple of main reasons for this, the key one being the weather. As it gets colder, we see the need to turn our thermostats up, blasting the heating for hours on end. This creates a large carbon footprint, and you can imagine how devastating this is when you factor in every household that does the same thing.

Thankfully, there are some simple ideas that will help you cut your carbon footprint and live a more eco-friendly life this coming winter. Here’s what you should do:

Wrap up warm

Put your winter clothes on and wrap up nice and warm when the temperature drops. Throwing on some jumpers and an extra layer or two will negate the need to turn your heating on now and then. At the very least, you can turn it to a lower setting, minimizing your carbon footprint.

This is also applicable when you’re in your car. You will drive more in the winter, and you will also have the heating on full blast. By wrapping up warm and wearing gloves and a coat in the car, you won’t need to turn the heating on as often. Less energy is used in your car, which reduces the emissions.

Upgrade your insulation

A lot of our homes aren’t built to withstand the cold weather. Instead, they’re built to deal with the hotter months of the year, keeping us cool. So, when the cold season is upon us, our homes leak so much heat and keep us cold.

You can prevent this by upgrading your home’s insulation. Get some spray foam insulation in your attic and between your walls, trapping more heat inside your property. The less heat that escapes, the better. Once more, this prevents the need to turn your heating on and waste energy.

Close doors and windows

Another tactic to reduce your carbon footprint is by keeping doors and windows closed as much as possible. Closing the living room door will trap heat inside that room, and the same goes for other rooms in your home. When all the doors are open, heat dissipates throughout the house, making you feel colder.

The same goes for your windows as well – if they’re open, you get the benefit of fresh air, but the downside of coldness entering your home and heat leaving it. You should open your windows briefly to let your home ventilate, but keep them shut for most of the day to retain as much heat in your home as you can.

See, you really don’t have to do anything drastic to reduce your carbon footprint this winter. It’s mainly about figuring out how to use less energy during your daily routine. This means keeping your heating off – or at as low a setting as possible.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Reasons To Be Environmentally Friendly

August 10, 2021 By Anne

We all know that being more environmentally friendly and aware of how we live in terms of being green is essential, but what this entails may not be quite so obvious. We all know it’s great for the environment, as expert Stephen Troese Jr. says, but what else? Is there anything else? The answer is yes, so read on to find out more.

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Help With Climate Change

Human activity all around the world has had a significant effect on climate change, and we can see this in many ways, including a rise in severe weather conditions occurring worldwide. These conditions include so-called ‘superstorms,’ increasing water levels, and melting ice glaciers. The only way to stop and, in the best scenario, reverse this trend is for everyone to become much more environmentally conscious.

For Future Generations

If the present global population isn’t careful and doesn’t become more environmentally friendly, there will not be enough resources left for future generations, which is unfair and highly selfish. So another reason it’s so critical to protect the environment is for our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many more future generations. It doesn’t matter whether you have children or not or even if you’re not planning to have any – it’s still essential to ensure that future generations live as well as possible.

Reduce Pollution

The earth is badly contaminated thanks to pollution. To some degree, the air, soil, and water are all polluted, which is having a detrimental impact on the population’s health. The more trash that accumulates, the worse the issue gets, and therefore it is critical that pollution be minimized as much as possible. When we understand where the things we throw out go and the effect it has on the environment, we can begin to think more clearly about recycling and reusing instead of throwing away.

Save Money

While becoming green is beneficial for the environment, there are some personal advantages as well, one of which is that you will save money on your energy costs. Energy-efficient lightbulbs, for example, are much less expensive to use than conventional lights and last significantly longer. Installing solar panels can allow you to save money on your energy costs too.

Help the Local Economy

If you’re going green, you’ll want to buy more locally since you won’t be traveling as far (or at all) or using polluting public transportation. That’s fantastic for the local economy. You can support the local economy by shopping at farmers’ markets and independent stores, for example. Because there will be more investment in parks and play areas, schools, walkways, and other community initiatives, more of your money will remain in your town and help it grow and become a better place to live.

You’ll Feel Less Stressed

The condition of the world may be a source of stress and concern for you, just as it is for many other people. If you can do something about it, even if it seems like something very little and perhaps even insignificant, you will feel a lot better and be able to relax a bit more. Those little things build up quickly, particularly if many people are all doing their best to make these critical changes.

Anne

6 Tips For A Camping Trip With Kids

March 25, 2021 By Anne

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A family camping trip can be plenty of fun, a chance to explore nature, take a break from technology, and create some lovely memories. If you’re preparing for a camping trip with your kids, be sure to consider these six tips.

1 . Prepare For The Weather

Check the weather forecast before you go and ensure that you have all the appropriate clothing items and supplies you’ll need. Remember the weather can change quickly, so even if the forecast is sunny, you’ll still want to bring clothes for rainy weather. To help you pack for you and your kids, apps like ‘PackPoint’ can be useful. PackPoint is a pretty cool vacation app, simply type in the details of your trip and it will tell you what you should bring.

Design An Itinerary

When you’re going camping with kids, it’s best to create an itinerary to plan what you’re going to do each day. Once the camping trip is underway you won’t have the time to plan things and babysit at the same time! It’s best to get your planning done first, to keep things running smoothly. You might plan a hiking trip, a beach day, bike rides, or a few kids games. Book tickets for any activities in advance, to stay on top of things.

Create A Similar Routine

To help your children enjoy the trip, try to create a similar routine. For example, ensure that your kids get the same nap times, lunch times and bedtimes, (where possible). Creating a familiar structure will help your children to feel relaxed and safe, and to make the most of the trip.

Camping Apps To Help

When you’re planning a camping trip with your kids you might find that the following camping based apps come in handy:

All Trails: This application can help you to find the best hiking trails near your camping destination. There’s even a section where you can search for ‘kid-friendly’ hiking trails, to make life easier.

Wiki Camps: It’s best to book your camping in advance, but if you need a resource to find campsites, Wiki Camps can help. Here you can search for the best sites plus access camping checklists, and a forum for camping tips. You can also use the app to find the nearest eco-campsites to be more eco-friendly.

5. Plan Your Meals

Before you go on a camping trip with your kids, it’s a good idea to have planned out your meals. There are plenty of easy recipes for camping online, write down a few so you can get everything you need. It’s best to stick to simple recipes, (so you can juggle looking after your kids at the same time)!

Safety Supplies & Checklist

It’s important to take safety supplies on a camping trip, you’ll need a first aid kit, a mini fire extinguisher, a torch, safety whistle, lanterns, and spare food supplies. You should also take insect repellents and sun creams. You might also want to look into clothing made from sun protective fabrics. To learn more about sun protective fabrics check out Rockywoods. Here you’ll also find waterproof fabrics that are ideal for camping and hiking trips.

Once you’ve got organized for your trip you’ll feel more relaxed and ready to enjoy yourself!

Anne

Every Little Helps – Small Actions To Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

February 12, 2021 By Anne

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when it comes to making your home more environmentally friendly. After all, there is so much advice out there. However, all that matters is that you start making changes, as even small ones like the suggestions below will add up over time to make a big difference. Read on to find out more.

Cut your plastic use

One of the easiest ways to make sure your home is as eco-friendly as possible is to reduce the amount of plastic you use and then throw away. After all, we all know that plastic usually ends up in the Earth’s oceans and wreaks havoc with the ecosystem, killing wildlife and slowly polluting the location around it.

With that in mind, it’s best to make some simple swaps that will reduce the amount of plastic your household uses. The first of these is to ditch the plastic bags when you go shopping and instead take your own reusable ones. You can even craft your own from old t-shirts which will save even more waste ending up in landfills!

Use less energy

We all know that energy is generated by using up valuable and increasingly scarce resources. However, many of us forget that there are several small things we can do around the home to limit our energy use.

The first of these is to make sure the lights and the heating are turned off in rooms that are in use. Indeed, it’s super simple to do this now, as you can use smart lights and thermostats to control these home features from anywhere!

Another smart way to use less energy is to make sure your home is well insulated. This should then help keep the heat in during the winter, and help keep your home cooler in the warmer months.

Indeed, you can reduce your energy usage a great deal by using less to control and maintain the temperature of your home. That is why another task that needs to be completed regularly is gutter cleaning. This is because when gutters get clogged they can cause leaks, which in turn can compromise your insulation, something that means you will end up using more energy for heat.

The good news is that you don’t have to get up on the ladder to do this less than pleasant job yourself. Instead, look for the most trusted gutter cleaning professionals in your area to do the task for you. It’ll be quicker, safer, and you’ll get a better result too.

Harvest your rainwater

Last of all, if you want to make sure your home is as eco-friendly as possible, be sure to start harvesting rainwater.

Now, you won’t be able to drink this, but you can use it for all sorts of tasks such as watering your garden or washing your car. Tasks that would have previously needed water from the tap to be used.

Of course, by using less tap water you will not only be preserving this valuable resource but you can help to save on the energy it would take to purify, collect and transport it to your home. After all, every little helps!

Anne

Decluttering the Eco-Friendly Way: Tips for Environmentally Friendly Cleaning

July 16, 2018 By Anne

Decluttering a home that’s overrun with the flotsam of daily life is an excellent way to create a clean and orderly home environment. Unfortunately, getting rid of junk means introducing it into the natural environment, including loading up landfills, expelling toxic material into the atmosphere, and sapping precious natural resources. Enhanced environmental awareness among homeowners and a renewed appreciation of nature’s gifts have led many people to seek eco-friendly ways of discarding household material. Today, dragging old mattresses to the dump and using bleach and other harmful liquids to clean are giving way to healthier, safer alternatives. Not knowing how and where to start can be overwhelming for anyone, however the amazing thing is there are tons of articles online to guide you through the process step by step.

Recycling the Big Stuff

Appliances are a major problem when it comes to disposal because of their size and composition. Unfortunately, people often throw them out because they’re upgrading to a newer, better-looking model, not because they’ve stopped working. This throw-away mentality lies at the root of many environmental issues we’re grappling with today. If that trusty old microwave or refrigerator has looked better, donate it to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or Habitat for Humanity rather than sending it to the landfill. You can also wait for a community scrap metal drive or post it on a free-exchange website like Freecycle. When it comes to bedding and furniture padding, many people are unaware that these materials can be reused. Look for textile drop-off points in your community, or look for a clothing and textile recycling facility nearest you.

Electronics and “e-waste” represent one of the greatest threats to the environment. Last year, more than 44 million tons of e-waste were discarded, according to the United Nations, but only 20 percent of it was disposed of responsibly and safely. Many of these products contain heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium. Consider donating old cell phones, keyboards, and tablets to a local non-profit or charity or to organizations like Dell Reconnect or the World Computer Exchange, which refurbish and donate electronics to people in developing countries.

Embrace the “Cloud”

Old photos and documents can create a tremendous amount of clutter because they tend to accumulate with alarming rapidity. Fortunately, technology and the storage miracle known as “the cloud” makes it very easy to remove all those loose papers and pictures with a few clicks of your computer mouse. Simply scan photos and documents and upload them to secure digital storage space. That frees you to take it all to a shredder and free up your drawer space. Be sure to consult a tax accountant before you dispose of something you might need to keep a hard copy of.

Green Clean

Cleaning your home with products that contain toxic materials is not only bad for the environment, but it’s also unhealthy for you and your family and can cause problems over time. When people clean using products and methods that are free of toxic or unsafe materials, and that are safe for the environment and human health, it is called green cleaning. There are many environmentally safe, eco-friendly cleaning products on the market today that are as effective as anything you’ve ever used. You can also use natural household materials, like vinegar or baking soda, for a number of cleaning needs. Avoid bleach and ammonia, which emit fumes that can cause respiratory problems and are toxic pollutants. Instead of aerosols, use an essential oil like lavender or lemons to get rid of odors.

Decluttering your home can be a freeing experience that opens up new vistas of practical and aesthetic possibilities. Decluttering the eco-friendly way takes a little extra effort. It’s as much an investment in your health as it is a means of protecting our environment.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.com