Celebrate Earth Day by making 15 small changes with big impact
Dear World:
Among the lessons I am learning from this paralyzing pandemic is not to take you for granted. I am sorry. Though my former way of life feels like a distant memory, I recall a time not so long ago when I freely roamed from office to gym, from hair salon to restaurant, from airplane to hotel without thinking twice.
I miss my world.
But this global health crisis has also given me great hope. I’ve learned that while one person staying home and staying clean matters little, when millions make the same healthy, sacrificial steps, we can have a profound world-changing impact.
What I’m getting to here is that being forced to stay home has made me reconsider our effect on you, our planet.
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day, an ecological and environmental awareness day, will be April 22. And I’m realizing that a healthier world — like so much else — starts at home. I tapped my friend and home improvement expert Kathryn Emery and Globalcitizen.org to uncover these 15 easy ways you can start saving resources and healing our world.
BRING ON THE FANS >> Energy spent heating and cooling homes accounts for 46% of the average household’s energy consumption. Turn off the HVAC and turn on your ceiling fans when possible. Use a programmable thermostat to time your heating and cooling use around times you’re home. These can save up to 10% on annual heating and cooling costs, said Emery, who is also a spokeswoman for Energy Upgrade California, an initiative to help residents be more energy conscious. “Big savings really can happen with the flip of a switch.”
TURN DOWN THE HEAT >> In cooler months, you can save about 2% of your heating bill for each degree that you lower the thermostat. Changing your thermostat’s setting from 70 to 65 degrees, for instance, would save about 10%.
COOL IT ON THE WATER >> Your water heater is the second-largest home energy expense. It accounts for some 20% of most households’ energy use, Emery said. The average family spends $400 to $600 on water heating each year. Lower that by washing your clothes in cold water. Choose an energy-efficient water heater and set it to 120 degrees or lower.
DON’T DRIVE, IF YOU CAN BIKE OR WALK >> Fewer cars on the road has reduced our carbon footprint and gas consumption. Plus, being outdoors feels good.
HANG IT UP >> When practical, line dry your clothes instead of using the dryer.
USE REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLES >> U.S. residents use 50 billion plastic water bottles annually. Most end up in landfills or oceans, according to Globalcitizen.org.
BUY UPCYCLED >> Purchase products made from recycled material. This spring, a line of planters made from recycled ocean plastic debuted at Lowe’s. Bloem, a planter manufacturer, partnered with recycling organizations to reuse plastic waste from shorelines and create its Ocean Series planters.
UNPLUG >> Anything plugged in bleeds energy even when not in use. This “phantom” energy loss costs the average household about $165 a year, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, and accounts for 4.6% of the country’s total residential electricity use.
BE PART OF NATURE >> Build a birdhouse. Plant a garden or a tree. Start composting.
TURN OFF LIGHTS WHEN YOU LEAVE A ROOM >> The average household spends about 5% of its energy on lighting.
CLEAN IT >> Don’t make your air conditioner work harder than it has to. Replace dirty HVAC filters often.
SEAL IT >> Don’t heat and cool the outdoors. Seal and insulate around windows and doors, and inside attics and walls.
COOK OUT >> Grilling outdoors uses less energy than traditional ovens and doesn’t heat up the house, Emery said.
SWITCH TO LED BULBS >> Residential LEDS use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. By 2027, widespread use of LEDS could save more than $30 billion at today’s electricity prices, compared with no LED use.
SHOP LOCAL >> Support local businesses and growers who don’t have to ship goods, and look for environmentally sustainable products.
If we all do a little, the world will benefit a lot. Happy Earth Day. Syndicated columnist Marni Jameson is the author of five home and lifestyle books, including “Downsizing the Family Home What to Save, What to Let Go” and “Downsizing the Blended Home — When Two Households Become One” (Sterling Publishing, 2019). You may reach her at marnijameson. com.