Join over a billion other conscious consumers in the world wide awareness campaign and turn your light off for and hour between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on 8.30pm local time, wherever you live on Planet Earth, Saturday 28 March 2009.
What have YOU done to minimise your climate footprint?
Continue being a conscious consumer after earth hour by doing some of the following…
Reduce
Really, the best thing that we can do for the planet is to use less of it. At the heart of the environmental crisis is our consumer society. Ask yourself: Do I really need this item? Do I know how this item was made and how it will be disposed of? Where was this item made and under what circumstances? Are the materials used to make this item renewable and have they been harvested in a sustainable manner?
Reuse
Regrettably, because we live in a “disposable society,” we are encouraged to buy a new “improved” item even if the one we have can be repaired. When we buy, we should buy items that are durable, and we should maintain them and have them repaired when necessary. If we do this, many things can not only last a lifetime, but can be passed along from generation to generation. If something is truly unusable for its original purpose, try to be creative and think of how else it might be used. When you are done with it, think if someone else might be able to use it.
Recycle
Rather than throwing an item out when neither you nor anyone else can make use of it, have it recycled. And while recycling is not perfect – it requires energy and the process of changing something into something else often produces by-products – it is better than sending goods to the landfill or having them incinerated. We can all reduce our impact on earth. If we all shrank our Footprint just a little, the overall effect on the environment would be enormous…
– Turn off lights and electrical equipment when you are not using them
– Fit energy-saving light bulbs
– Open the windows and switch off the aircons
– Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need
– Do not open the fridge door unnecessarily
– Switch taps off properly after use
– Repair leaking taps promptly
– Do not buy items that have excessive packaging
– Start a compost garden with food and garden waste
– Remove alien invasive plants from your garden and at the office
– Walk or ride a bicycle, where possible, instead of driving your car
– Take the stairs instead of the lift
– Drive smaller cars with less fuel usage, or drive a hybrid
– Drive slower, it is safer and uses less fuel, thus less emissions
– Use eco friendly cleaning products and toiletries
– Request your bills electronically and pay on line
– Wash your car the natural way – wait until it rains!
– Be a conscientious consumer and learn about sustainable and eco-friendly products
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