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| Green Resolutions for the New Year 2012 | | | Dr. Pragya Khanna | 12/31/2011 7:16:43 PM |
| First of all wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2012. A New Year's Resolution is a pledge that an individual takes for improving or developing or reforming a habit, often a lifestyle change to help improve the life. The name comes from the fact that these promises or commitments usually come into effect on New Year's Day and continue until fulfilled or discarded. A resolution can improve our way of life or career or personal life or whatever we wish to do in the days to come. Most of you must have decided the RESOLUTIONS for this New Year. In this era when a healthy life style has become a buzzword and while all of us are keen on achieving the same, let's not forget the planet's health. The condition of our planet's health necessitates urgent attention and action. Global warming and green house gas emissions may be main issues for the governments to act, but some trivial changes in lifestyle or effortless alterations in daily routines if followed throughout the year can really make a difference. That's all it takes for each one of us to do our bit for environment management for our own health and for the health of our future generations. As part of Earth's life we have the responsibility to act against the dangers being faced by earth and share it with others. It is also our responsibility to help the Government, educational institutions and other organizations to prepare and execute remedial measures. These would contribute at least one easy step which can set us on the road to sustainable living. If every one of us makes small everyday changes, think what a big difference it would make! Together we can make 2012 a golden year for the environment. 1. Give Up Plastic and Paper Bags: We often tend to bring home our groceries either in a paper or a plastic bag. Very few of us know that neither is a good choice. Twelve million barrels of oil were used to make the 88.5 billion plastic bags consumed in the United States last year. And it takes four times more energy to make paper bags. The best choice is the shopping bags made of cotton, nylon or durable, mesh-like plastic that can be used again and again. Put a few reusable shopping bags in your car so you have them handy on your next shopping trip.
2. Lower the Temp in Your Fridge: As one of the biggest appliances in your kitchen, the refrigerator is also one of the most power hungry, accounting for 10 to 15 percent of the average home energy bill each month. First, set the refrigerator thermostat to maintain a temperature between 38 and 42 degrees (F). This temperature will protect your food from spoiling while saving electricity. Twice a year, clean the condenser coil at the back of your fridge. Condenser coils tend to get dusty, making them less efficient.
3. Take your bicycle out of the shed: People who resume cycling to work and/or to the supermarket often say that it is so beautiful to rediscover their neighbourhood that way. In fact, unless you live in a very mountainous area, this could be the most relaxing resolution you take!
4. Use public transport more: If public transport connections are poor in your area, then it is time to awaken up the local crusader in you and ask for it. Make 2012 the year when your community stood up for sustainability.
5. Make your home efficient: By now, I assume most of you have switched to CFL light bulbs, so it is time to take home efficiency to the next level. Check all electrical gadgets and appliances in your house for their energy consumption values and use them judiciously.
6. Make a toxics-free household: Indoor air pollution, in homes as well as commercial buildings, is being recognized as a serious health problem. Researchers have discovered the air pollution inside your home can be much worse than the air pollution outside your home. Most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, whether it is at home, at work, or while travelling in a car. The reasons include the construction of more tightly sealed buildings, reduced ventilation, the use of synthetic materials for building and furnishing and the use of chemical products, pesticides, and household care products.
This might take a while to study and examine, so you can plan to do it over the whole year. From beauty products to clothes detergent and computer parts, we have become used to toxic products in our daily lives. It is time to stop it. When buying new products, check what they are made of, and pick the one that will have the least toxic residues.
7. Reduce your consumption of electronics: Are electronics at your home piling up, take a break, and promise not to buy new electronics this year, unless the one you already have breaks down (and when it does, ensure it is recycled properly!).
8. Spend more time outdoors: Learn to enjoy the nature again. Make a habit of taking a weekly walk outside. We have become so used to live in our houses and in our cars that many people have no idea what nature looks like anymore. 9. Green Exercise: With all the extra weight put on from feasting over the holidays the start of the New Year is a great opportunity to get in shape. And you can do it in an earth-friendly way! You don't need an exercise machine that uses electricity to help you burn calories. You can always get your green exercise by walking, running or riding a bike around a park or neighbourhood. You can even take along biodegradable bags and pick up trash and recyclable aluminium cans along the way to help clean up your surroundings.
10. Drive Less: If you live near your workplace check to see if you can rent your bike and try walking to your destination. If you have to drive you should carpool or join a ride share program.
11. Green Your Work Area: You spend about 40 hours a week at your place of employment, so how about making it a bit more eco friendly? Not only will you be more productive at work, but you'll also be helping out the environment.
12. Stay in Touch with Family and Friends: Make it a point to get back in contact with the family and friends that you haven't had a chance to talk to in the past year. You can reduce paper waste by sending them an email, SMS or a free e-card, or you can purchase recycled greeting cards and notebook paper.
13. Green Your Computer: Even if you turned your laptop off at work last year it still consumed energy if it was plugged into the wall! So this year cut back on your computer's energy consumption by unplugging the cord when it's not in use.
14. Start a Garden: Even if you live in a small apartment with limited space you can still grow your own herbs and vegetables. Nothing is better and healthier than eating your own organically grown food.
15. Convince (at least) 3 friends to develop green eco habits: Why three? Because almost everyone knows three people they can influence. If those three convince three more people next year and so on, we will grow a movement capable of protecting our planet and the resolutions above will become easy and daily routine for everyone. |
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