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| Are seniors going green? I think so. I know
I am and so are many of my friends. Everybody though, should do their part
in saving our planet, not just seniors. Do you live in an energy-smart home? Are you an energy-efficient person? There are many easy energy-saving ideas that could help planet earth. It’s hard to get motivated though, when it seems that you’re the only one going green. Well there’s good news. You’re not alone. CanWest News Service recently reported a Statistic Canada fact: “Canadian families are embracing energy-efficient light bulbs, water-conserving toilets and shower heads, reusable shopping bags and eschewing bottled water in growing numbers.” Are you environmentally conscious? Consider the following ideas: Environmentally friendly products are for the most part excellent. Recycled paper for example is just as good as "virgin" paper. In fact it’s better, because it helps save trees! Further, there’s a double payoff as they are good for the environment and good financially. Our drinking water in most part of Canada is excellent. We don’t need to pollute the earth with plastic bottles. Old refrigerators make good “beer fridges”, but out-dated technology is also big energy wasters. Call waste management and for small fee they’ll take it away for you. Compact fluorescent light bulbs give more light for less money and save a lot of energy. This new T2 technology lasts nine years based on normal use of three hours per day. Even better, turn the lights off when you leave the room. During the day, natural sunlight is usually more than enough to light up the room. Old doors, especially hollow ones and old windows are obviously energy wasters as are doors without good seals. Attics in most old houses usually need extra insulation. Not only do you save on reduced energy bills, heat doesn’t escape uselessly through the ceiling. Insulate your home; it’s worth it in the long run. Old toilets with over-sized tanks are needlessly wasting our precious water. When renovating, consider this energy saving idea. Automobiles are one of the single biggest sources of pollution. Large gas guzzling SUVs are no longer for the most part popular. Consider driving a smaller gas saving car. Do you realize as well that the faster you drive, the more gas is being consumed? You’ll find too that speeding up and then having to use your breaks wastes energy for nothing. You won’t get to destination any faster. As a retiree, you can choose when you use your car. Most of the times, there’s no need for us to drive during peak hours. By traveling before or after rush hour you keep your sanity, you save on gas and you avoid polluting the planet. Even better, leave your car at home as often as possible. You can ride your bike when going to the store for small items. It’s environmentally friendly, it’s fun and you get in shape at the same time. You can also walk or take the bus to do you errands. For many, the three Rs are now refuse, reuse and recycle. You refuse to buy products that are not fully recyclable, you reuse what you can and you recycle as much as you can. This allows us to get the most use of our precious resources. In Canada, it is estimated that close to 50% of households regularly use reusable bags when shopping. Do it. If you haven’t started to recycle yet, think about it. Aluminum cans for example, can be melted and recycled thus saving a lot of energy. So is glass. A significant amount of energy is saved by melting glass to make jars and bottles. Recycling paper is easy and avoids a serious environmental problem. Many of us need fertilizer for our beautiful flower and or vegetable gardens. Why not make a compost box and place it in an out of the way corner of the yard. Leftovers, eggshells, coffee grounds, spoiled vegetables mixed with dirt and turned over once a week will eventually turn into a rich nutritious soil. What used to be garbage is now a valuable natural fertilizer. Canadians are slowly warming-up to an environmentally friendly place to live. April 22nd is Earth Day, a dedicated day to celebrate the environment. As seniors let’s celebrate what we have done so far to save our planet and think about what else can be done. It’s taking time but Canadians are slowly going green. |