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| English: A colour version of previous map, ranking countries by carbon dioxide emissions in thousands of metric tonnes per annum, based on List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions as of March 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Five ways you can help save the planet
Harmful emissions are constantly
threatening the state of our planet and saving the environment is everybody's
responsibility. Many people choose not to act because they feel that their
efforts are unlikely to make a difference, yet there are many ways that you can
reduce your harmful impacts on the environment. The top 5 ways that you can
help save the planet are listed below.
1 – Water usage: Water is a valuable resource and supplying your household with water
consumes a great amount of energy, therefore it is important to be careful with
your water consumption. Transporting and treating water uses a great amount of
energy, whilst one fifth of household carbon emissions come from heating water
for baths, showers and washing up and this is why it is important that we are
not wasteful in our water consumption. However on average each person in the UK
uses 150 litres of water each day and this could be greatly reduced in a few
simple steps. Firstly taking a short shower instead of a bath could save up to
10 litres of water per minute, secondly turning off the tap when brushing your
teeth can help reduce water consumption as can placing bottles of water in the
fridge instead of waiting for the tap to run cold. A comprehensive list of ways
to reduce water consumption is provided by the government and can be found here.
2 – Transport: Transport accounts for around 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions and world energy consumption and therefore reducing our reliance on harmful modes of transport should be a priority. Cars are by far the most convenient but they are also the most harmful for the environment, therefore trains and buses are much greener forms of travel. However the most environmentally friendly ways to travel are on foot or by bike as they produce no carbon dioxide emissions, not to mention the fact that they can help improve fitness and save money.
2 – Transport: Transport accounts for around 25% of global carbon dioxide emissions and world energy consumption and therefore reducing our reliance on harmful modes of transport should be a priority. Cars are by far the most convenient but they are also the most harmful for the environment, therefore trains and buses are much greener forms of travel. However the most environmentally friendly ways to travel are on foot or by bike as they produce no carbon dioxide emissions, not to mention the fact that they can help improve fitness and save money.
3 – Recycling: One of the most effective ways that you can help the environment is
through recycling, as this means that your waste and unwanted goods are re-used
as opposed to being sent to landfill sites. The key reason that recycling is
helpful for the environment is that it means that less energy and natural
resources are used, this is because parts of your unwanted items can be used in
the development of new products. So next time that you conduct a house clearance, take your unwanted
items to be recycled as opposed to taking them to the dump.
4 – Modify your home: Another way to reduce harmful impacts on the environment is to
modify your home to become more environmentally friendly. This can be done on
either a small or large scale, one of the most effective and expensive ideas is
to install solar panels in the home in order to reduce your reliance on
electricity. But you can also make simple changes that can be extremely
effective, these include ensuring that your insulation is effective in
retaining heat and installing a water saving toilet.
5 – Electricity usage: Reducing your electricity usage will not only help save the planet,
it will also lower your energy bills. The biggest problem in most households is
that residents fail to switch off lights and unplug appliances when they are
not in use, which increases your energy usage. A common rule for appliances is
that if you won't be using it for another 36 hours then it should be unplugged.
Other ways to lower your electricity consumption include washing your clothes
at a lower temperature and switching to energy saving light bulbs.
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