Innovative Ways to Save the Environment

Green living is all the rage nowadays. By now, everyone knows that we should be doing our part to help the environment. I think I'm pretty good in my habits - I recycle as much as I can, I don't keep the water on while brushing my teeth, and I've switched my lamp bulbs to the ones that last longer and are better for the environment. I even turn off the lights in the trash and laundry rooms in my apartment building when no one's in there. So when I saw The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen in the library (also another good green tip - check out books instead of buying them) with some innovative tips I had never heard of or thought about, I decided to check it out. And after reading the book, I thought I would share some of the easier and interesting ways that were presented to help do your part to lessen your impact on the environment.

Don't Take an ATM Receipt

Did you know that ATM receipts are one of the biggest sources of litter on the planet? I know that they're a big source of litter in my apartment. I find ATM receipts all over the place - my purse, my work bag, and hidden nooks and crannies in my apartment. And even though I always mean to look at them to check against my bank statements, I never really look at them ever again until I'm cleaning out my purse. Sure, there is the small chance that the bank may mess up a transaction and you need the receipt as evidence, but do you really keep track of all your receipts? If not, then do yourself and the environment a favor by pushing the "No" button the next time the ATM asks if you want a receipt. If everyone in the US did this one little step, it would save a roll of paper more than 2 billion feet long, enough to circle the equator 15 times. That's a lot of paper!

Water your Plants with Water from your Aquarium

Now I know this one sounds weird, but I thought it was very interesting. If you have an aquarium, the next time you clean the tank, instead of throwing the water down the drain, use the water to water your plants. Not only are you saving water, but your plants are getting a nice nutrient boost - I guess from all the fish waste. I never thought about it, but it makes sense, right? And if every fish owner did this, the amount of water saved annually could fill 2 24-ounce bottles for each of the 1.2 billion people in the world without access to safe drinking water. Pretty impressive, huh?

Choose paints with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are the organic solvents used in paints to carry the pigment. They are also among the main contributors to smog and have been known to cause adverse health effects. So do the environment and your health a favor and the next time you need paint, varnish, stain or finish, choose the low or no-VOC variety. The amount of VOCs you could save by choosing a few gallons of low or no VOC paint is roughly the same amount that you would save by not driving your car for an entire year. An entire year!

Switch your Computer to Low Power Sleep Mode or Unplug it when not in use

When you leave work for the night or leave your computer for an extended period of time, do you just leave the computer on or do you put it in sleep or low-power/standby mode? Next time you leave work, turn your computer off or at the very least, put it in standby mode. By doing so, you can save both money and electricity. Or, better yet, unplug your computer. By unplugging appliances when they're not in use, you could save anywhere between 6% - 25% of your electric bill. These appliances, also known as vampire devices, drain energy even when they're turned OFF! So do your electric bill and the environment a favor and when your toaster or coffeemaker is not in use, unplug it.

And for good measure, I'll throw in a few other tips to save the environment that take a little more effort but are always good to be reminded of: use water filters instead of buying bottled water, if you have to smoke, use matches instead of lighters, use a ceramic mug instead of a paper or Styrofoam cup, avoid cover pages on faxes when possible, and recycle, recycle, RECYCLE.

These are not huge lifestyle changes I'm talking about, right? So let's all make an effort to take small steps to do our part to help the environment - for ourselves and for future generations.

Source: The Green Book, Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen, © 2007.