Reduce Your Carbon Footprint to Live an Eco Friendly Life
I am ashamed to admit that I only really became concerned about my carbon footprint and living a more eco friendly life after I moved to Ireland. Prior to that creating a green home was pretty low on my priorities and I was living an eco unfriendly life, I guess that's because in Ireland climate change is high on the national agenda and there are a multitude of actions being taken within Ireland to create awareness and raise consciousness.
I assumed like many others that making changes would entail significant costs and a great deal of hard work, however once I empowered myself with information and actually started to make changes I was surprised by how easy it is to make a positive contribution.
The thing that struck me the most was that it really is something that anyone can do regardless of their circumstances. Thats why I want to add my voice to the many others who are advocating change. I wanted to create something useful and give people some ideas so this is a start and I hope that I have achieved that.
This list is just a start and lets build on it, please go ahead and add your "ways to reduce your Carbon Footprint" in the comments section at the bottom of this lens.
Each of us can make a difference in our daily lives by reducing our carbon footprint and its easier than you think to get started. There are many different things that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and here are 101 of them to help get you started on the road to living an eco friendly life and creating a green home.
If you are looking for information on what your carbon footprint is take a look at my Your Carbon Footprint lens
Ready? Lets go.
I assumed like many others that making changes would entail significant costs and a great deal of hard work, however once I empowered myself with information and actually started to make changes I was surprised by how easy it is to make a positive contribution.
The thing that struck me the most was that it really is something that anyone can do regardless of their circumstances. Thats why I want to add my voice to the many others who are advocating change. I wanted to create something useful and give people some ideas so this is a start and I hope that I have achieved that.
This list is just a start and lets build on it, please go ahead and add your "ways to reduce your Carbon Footprint" in the comments section at the bottom of this lens.
Each of us can make a difference in our daily lives by reducing our carbon footprint and its easier than you think to get started. There are many different things that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and here are 101 of them to help get you started on the road to living an eco friendly life and creating a green home.
If you are looking for information on what your carbon footprint is take a look at my Your Carbon Footprint lens
Ready? Lets go.
Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
1. Replace the light bulbs in your home with long life CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs. These last up to 15 times longer than regular bulbs and use up 80% less electricity than regular bulbs. You could simply replace your regular bulbs as and when they burn out.2. Use rechargeable batteries to reduce your carbon footprint by up to 1,000 pounds over the life of the batteries.
3. Buy locally produced goods and services. Goods and services that are produced locally eliminate thousands of pounds of carbon by reducing fossil fuel transportation demands.
4.Recycle your waste.
5. When you next buy a vehicle, go for an electric, hybrid or fuel-efficient car instead of a gas guzzler.
6. Make compost.
7. Filter your own water, rather than buying bottled water. Most tap water is safe to drink, and some bottled waters are flown in from the far corners of the earth and the production process of the bottles adds to greenhouse gas release.
8. Clean the lint filter in your dryer. This will reduce your energy used, saving the environment and your electric bill.
9. When you mow the lawn, leave the clippings spread across the grass. It decomposes and fertilizes the ground.
10. Use an electic mower they are more efficient than mowers that run on fuel.
11. Bring your own mug to your favourite coffee shop. This will reduce the usage of the paper cups, the energy used to produce them and save trees. Paper cups are usually not 100% recycled.
12. Whenver possible hang your washing out on the clothesline rather than using the dryer.13. Only use your dryer, dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load, dont do half loads. This reduces the number of loads and the electricity used.
14. Plant a tree this is one of the best things you can do. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. They also shade your house in the summer, and will lower your air conditioning.
15. Buy in season produce. Out of season requires more energy to refrigerate, and more fuel to ship in from places where it is in season.
16. Try to use something other than black plastic garbage bags. The black bags can't be recycled because of the black pigment they put in them to make them black. So if possible stick with white or even better dont use any at all.
17. When replacing household appliances choose energy efficient appliances. You can check their Energy Star ratings for a quick reference. This may cost more upfront but will save you in the long run.
18. When you remodel or paint a room, buy the right amount of paint. This saves chemicals from entering the air that are caused to make the paint, energy to make the paint, and you money buying to much.
19. Reduce Excess Baggage and pack lighter when travelling. Planes flying with extra baggage use more fuel.
20. Whenever possible walk, cycle or use public transport to get around rather than driving in your car.
21. Read the newspaper online to save paper, trees, and carbon.22. Eat one less serving of meat a week. Use a cheese free alternative each week. Cheese is an animal product and has the same carbon cost as meat.
23. Dont leave your household electronic goods and appliances on standby they use a substantial amount of power even in stanby mode. Invest in a power strip that you can plug them all into and switch off when you are not using them.
24. Use both sides of the page to print or copy.
25. Replace the exterior lights around your home and in your garden with solar-powered ones.
26. Use reusable bags for grocery shopping.
27. Rake leaves and shovel snow manually instead of firing up a leaf blower and snowblower.
28. Plant an organic garden and grow your own vegetables even if its just a small patch or a windowsill planter.
29. Use a laptop rather than a desktop. Laptops use up to 80% less energy.
"30. Use a microwave to heat and cook food, they are more efficient than regular ovens and hobs."
31. Buy secondhand household items and save the carbon cost of the production of new goods.32. Adjust your central heating thermostat down by 1 degree C or 2 degrees F in winter and up in summer.
33. Adjust your water heater temperature downwards.
34. Insulate your water heater or water tank with an insulation blanket to save on heat loss.
35. Upgrade the insulation in your home.
36. Eliminate drafts by ensuring that all doors and windows are sealing properly, use weather stripping, caulking on your windows or even just a home made draft eliminator for your external doors.
37. Use passive solar heating to capture heat in your home by opening the curtains during the day and closing them at dusk. In summer you should close your curtains during the heat of the day. Besides carbon, you'll save 25 to 75% on your heating and cooling bill.
38. Run ceiling fans instead of air conditioning. Avoid using air conditioning in your home and car whenever possible. If you live in a hot climates doing this could save more than a ton of CO2.
39. Use cold water to wash and rinse clothes.
40. Keep your car's tires inflated to specification this will ensure that your car is more efficient
41. Switch off lights in rooms at home when leaving the room.42. Take a shower instead of a bath (a shower uses approximately one fifth of the energy that a bath does
43. Only heat rooms in your house that are in use.
44. Dont boil a full kettle to make one cup of tea or coffee, only boil what you need.
45. Unplug your phone charger when not in use.
46. Use the top shelf of the oven as it is always the hottest so food cooks quicker.
47. Turn off your heating when you're not there, or if you're going to be away for a few days.
48. A slow casserole, pressure cooker, insulated deep fat fryer or microwave oven will cook food in an energy efficient way.
49. Use a toaster to toast bread instead of under the grill.
50. Generate Your Own Free Energy at Home No Solar Panels required it is easier and cheaper than you think to create a Green Home with Free Energy
Phew Half Way There
Time To Take a Break, checkout this video.
Carbon Footprint
curated content from YouTube
51. Stop and open the dishwasher before the drying cycle and let the dishes dry naturally.52. Share car journeys when you can. Organise car pools for regular commutes.
53. When you drive, shift into a higher gear as soon as possible. For petrol cars, shift up in gear before 2,500 revolutions per minute (rpm) and for diesel cars before 2,000 rpm.
54. Take your holidays in your home country or travel by train instead of flying.
55. Replace your existing showerheads with low-flow showerheads.
56. Drive at or below the speed limit as this reduces your vehicles emmissions.
57. If you are renting a car whilst away on holiday or business go for a hybrid or diesel or bio-diesel.
58. Remove your car's roofrack when not in use as they create drag which results in more fuel being used.
59. Re-use zip top bags.
60. Buy bulk food and package it yourself in reusable containers.
The treatment of household water produces co2 so save water where you can61. Fix dripping taps.
62. Use a birck in the cistern to reduce the amount of water used when flushing.
63. Dont wash food under a running tap.
64. Insulate your water pipes.
65. Turn off the tap whilst brushing your teeth.
66. Dont use a hose to wash your car and reduce the number of times you wash your car.
67. When cooking dont overfill saucepans and pots.
68. Use collected rainwater and "grey" waste water to water your garden.
69. Use a dishwasher rather than washing by hand as the efficient ones use less water
70. Donate or recycle your old clothing rather than throwing it away.
71. Use reflective insulation sheeting behind your radiators mounted on the walls. This is available from most DIY stores.72. Block up the chimney with newspaper when you are not using it - and don't forget to remove the stuffing when you do want to use it.
73. Get your boiler serviced regularly to ensure it is working properly and not wasting your money.
74. Fill in your external walls with spray insulation.
75. Limit your shopping trips to once a week.
76. Switch on electric blankets no more than half an hour before you go to bed and switch off just before you get into bed.
77. Keep the curtains closed at night and make sure you don't just heat the space between the curtains and the window. A radiator shelf can also deflect the convection currents past the curtains into the room.
78. Adding an unheated conservatory or sunspace to the south face of your house increases passive solar gains and provides an insulating effect.
79. Space and water heating account for over 70% of energy used in the home, so switching to clean, renewable energy (e.g. wood fuel, solar energy or heat pump systems) makes a big reduction in the environmental impact of your home.
80. Use recycled toilet paper and paper.
81. Use "task" lighting rather than whole room lighting when a small amount of light is required.
82. Defrost your refrigerator as this will ensure that it runs efficiently.
83. Check the seals on your refrigerator and oven regularly and replace them when necessary.
84. Dont put hot or warm foods and drinks into your refrigerator.
85. When cooking put the lids on your pots and pans to reduce heat loss.
86. Fit your garden hose with a trigger sprayer, this will reduce your water consumption.
87. Create a wormery. This uses worms in a sealed, hygienic, and non-smelling unit to compost your waste, which can then be used to fertilise your garden.
88. Avoid using patio heaters, as these produce enormous amounts of CO2. Put a jumper on instead!
89. Telecommute or arrange with your employer to work one day a week from home.
90. Avoid products with multiple layers of packaging.
83. Check the seals on your refrigerator and oven regularly and replace them when necessary.
84. Dont put hot or warm foods and drinks into your refrigerator.
85. When cooking put the lids on your pots and pans to reduce heat loss.
86. Fit your garden hose with a trigger sprayer, this will reduce your water consumption.
87. Create a wormery. This uses worms in a sealed, hygienic, and non-smelling unit to compost your waste, which can then be used to fertilise your garden.
88. Avoid using patio heaters, as these produce enormous amounts of CO2. Put a jumper on instead!
89. Telecommute or arrange with your employer to work one day a week from home.
90. Avoid products with multiple layers of packaging.
"91. Buy certified wood to ensure sustainable forest management."
92. Whenever possible only drive during non peak hours.93. Water your garden in the evening as this will save water.
94. Use recycled wood chips in your flower beds as they retain moisture resulting in less watering.
95. Use hand towels and fabric napkins rather than paper ones.
96. Install a drain water heat recovery pipe in your home to reclaim energy from waste water.
97. Install insulated blinds on windows to decrease energy escape.
98. Take advantage of natural daylight as much as possible.
99. Tired of watering your lawn, great, get rid of it. Grow a garden instead. Lawns require lawnmowers, which require fuel. Gardens allow you to grow veggies which require less trips to the produce section.
100. Don't be an aggressive driver. Studies show that fast starts, weaving in and out of traffic, and accelerating to and from a stop sign or traffic light don't save much time, but do waste fuel.
101. Don't carry unnecessary loads in the boot or on the roof - it increases your car's fuel consumption.
Well Done You Made it to the end and hopefully you are well on your way to a more eco friendly life and creating a green home. Please feel free to add your ways to reduce your Carbon Footprint in the comments section at the bottom of this page.
Green living books
How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: 365 Simple Ways to Save Energy, Resources, and Money
Amazon Price: $11.01 (as of 12/30/2009) 
List Price: $12.95
Tracking Your Carbon Footprint: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Inventorying Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Amazon Price: $10.95 (as of 12/30/2009)
List Price: $10.95
How to Reduce your Carbon Footprint (Energy Revolution)
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 12/30/2009)
List Price: $8.95
Collins Gem Carbon Counter: Calculate Your Carbon Footprint
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 12/30/2009)
List Price: $7.95
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint In the Kitchen
Amazon Price: $26.50 (as of 12/30/2009)
List Price: $26.50
Reader Feedback
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- badmsm badmsm Jul 13, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
- Nice ways to save money, too! Great lens, 5 stars & a Squid Angel Blessing!
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- burntchestnut burntchestnut Jun 2, 2009 @ 5:52 am
- A good, comprehensive list. Nicely done.
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- Super_Natural Super_Natural Mar 29, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
- Nice lens! You've got a great collection of tips and resources here. I'd love it if you'd drop by my lens and say hello when you have the chance.
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- KalahariHarry KalahariHarry Feb 2, 2009 @ 3:24 pm | in reply to TheGreenerMe
- Thank You very much I appreciate that feedback I am looking forward to creating the next one
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- TheGreenerMe TheGreenerMe Feb 2, 2009 @ 6:58 am
- Excellent work, I'm lensrolling this lens to my "50 things you can reuse" lens. Welcome to A Million Ways to Go Green!!
by KalahariHarry
Hi there Kalahari Harry here Aka Terry, Thanks for visting my lens. I live in Dublin in Ireland and have also lived and worked in Botswana, South Afri... (more)
