Electricity and the Carbon Footprint
3 07 2007
I always thought that leaving the lights on, or leaving the fan running during the day only affected the pocketbook by increasing my electricity bill…but according to carbonfootprint.com electricity is one of the largest producers of carbon emissions. Oops!
Many have been the nights where I’ve slept with the light on because I’ve heard a weird noise and been freaked out, or left the tv or radio on to keep the cat company. I didn’t realize that this had an effect on the environment…obviously my use of electricity is an easy thing to change, and a quick way to reduce my carbon footprint!
A chart on carbonfootprint.com lists the largest household electricity users, with hair dryers, tumble clothes dryers, and microwave ovens using some of the greatest amounts of energy. Bummer. I blow dry my hair almost every day, and eat many microwave meals. Much to the chagrin of my loved ones, but to the delight of the enviroment I don’t do laundry often enough.
What can I do to reduce my electricity usage?
1. The simplest thing is to not leave things on when I’m not using them: lights, fans, tvs, radios, etc.
2. Use low-wattage bulbs for my lights.
3. Blow dry my hair less. (Not willing to give this one up completely!) Maybe even wash my hair less, so I don’t need to even dry my hair.
4. Not keep my a/c unit as cold when I do use it.
5. Unplug my cellphone when it’s done charging.
6. Shut my computer down when I’m not using it.
I don’t have room in my small apartment to hang all my clothes out to dry instead of tumble drying them…but maybe I could work on this.
Any other ideas?
