Save the Planet - A Rough Guide
I came across this article in Egypt Today and i think it's really the most read-worthy thing i've seen in a while, except maybe for the one about the scientist who cloned himself...
Anyway, here is the jist of the article..with some stuff thrown in by me.
In the year 2020, between 75 and 250 million people in Africa will face problems finding clean drinking water.
One person really can slow global warming.(Before you tut tut and turn your head away, yes this post is about ten years too late, but it's a well known fact that we here in the land of eighties fashion are at least a decade behind, so take that into your tut tutting calculations)
1. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. You can save 15 litres of water per minute. That’s 60 litres of water everyday, and 420 litres per week.
2. Change your light bulbs and use CFL bulbs, they use ¼ the electricity and last ten times longer, the energy saved will translate into lower carbon emissions produced by electrical-power generators running on fossil fuels. They also come in ‘warm light’, for a softer glow.
3. Pump up your tires, under-inflated tires are both dangerous and costly (tack on up to 20% extra on your fuel bill). Check the air level every 2 to 3 weeks with a pressure gauge.
4. When you can, drive between 65 and 95 kilos per hour. This will save 10-15% of fuel.
5. Buy appliances that carry the Energy Star, they slash your utility bill and reduce greenhouse emissions.
6. Give your old clothes to charity.
7. Plant a tree or three. One tree will absorb about one ton of carbon dioxide a year.
8. Support local produce. Yes, buy Egyptian bananas! (and 7arankash)
9. Keep it casual at work, reducing the need for AC and the energy used to power it. Japan cut an estimated 79,000 tons of CO2 in 2005 by loosening the collars of Japanese employees.
10. 75% of energy consumed at home is standby power. Get off your lazy ass and turn the telly/PC/DVD/Stereo off – manually!
11. Buy in bulk.
12. Carpool.
13. Always use dishwashers/washing machines on full loads, otherwise your wasting a lot of water.
14. Insulate your home, if you can, or go for double glazed windows.
15. Clean your AC filters, reducing energy consumption by 5% - better yet, use a fan instead. It works. Honest.
16. Offset your carbon emissions – a return flight for two between Cairo and London produces 2 tons of CO2. There are many, many websites that offer offsetting services - mostly through tree planting projects. Just Google Carbon Footprint, Carbon Offset etc.
17. Try DIY composting: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/h2composting
18. More you can do : http://www.nativeenergy.com/pages/more_you_can_do/18.php#12
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/25_ways_to_save.php
19. Buy her a potted plant instead of cut flowers – seriously.
20. Spread the word.
that's enough tree huggin' for now - i really fancy some 7arankash ... so if you know me, buy me some 7arankash, k?
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