What
can individual families do to make a difference? Not all families have the
resources to purchase solar panels nor can they buy them because they do not
own their home. Sometimes little
things/changes can make a huge difference.
Light
bulbs:
For
starters, families use electricity. Light bulbs are simple and often overlooked
in most homes' total energy consumption. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
reports that if every household in the United States replaced just one standard
incandescent light bulb with an energy-efficient one, the nation would annually
save about $600 million in energy costs - enough to power 3 million homes for a
year. Changing light bulbs to LED, using solar outdoor lights, and stringed LED
lights indoors and outdoors saves individual electric costs along with using
less as a whole community.
Recycle:
Recycling
is also easy to forget as we get caught up in our busy lives. Many can feel overwhelmed with the idea and
act of it. As a society, recycling can have a high initial set up cost and
sometimes may not be cost effective. However, the positives far outweigh the
negatives. Recycling helps protect the environment, reduces energy consumption,
reduces pollution, helps reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions such as
CO2 and CFCs, promotes judicial and sustainable use of resources, conserves
natural resources, reduces amount of waste to landfills, and helps create green
jobs.
Gardening:
Grow
your own veggies. Not only does this help a family budget but it also helps
build pride in providing food for your family. A pack of herbs from the grocery
store can cost anywhere from $3 to $6 and you use the pack for one, maybe two
meals. Growing your own herbs with seeds cost $1 to $2. Also, getting children
involved – learning how to plant, water, and take care of the plants – is educational,
exciting, and positive for their future. Learning how to be in control of what
you put in your body is empowering.
I
also stated in a different article about the benefits of having your own
chickens/eggs.
Rainwater
Harvesting:
There
are many pros and cons to collecting rainwater. I’m mostly focusing on small
amounts and used for gardening. Living in the desert area, keeping a garden
from drying out can be challenging. Since it doesn’t rain a lot nor is it
consistent, having a barrel to collect water is beneficial. Rainwater is healthier for plants, according to Harvesth2o.com
- there are no chemicals in rainwater, other than possible pollutants, your
plants will respond better. Also, watering with your well water or city water
for gardening uses drinking water. With areas like California drying due to
climate changes, we need to be resourceful and responsible with water.
 |
| (photo
of taos plaza – photo credit: taos.org) |
Shop
Local:
"Going local does not mean walling off the
outside world. It means nurturing locally owned businesses which use local
resources sustainably, employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily
local consumers. It means becoming more self-sufficient and less dependent on
imports. Control moves from the boardrooms of distant corporations and back
into the community where it belongs."
Choosing
a greener alternative is important for sustainability and resilience but where
you shop in many cases is the most important factor - shopping locally is significant
for environmental and economic sustainability. When you shop locally you are
supporting members of your own community who are also vested in the heath and
success of the community. Also traveling less and requiring fewer things
to be shipped means less carbon, pollution and traffic congestion.
Contributed by January Sadler, April 2015
