The legend of Saint Patrick says that he was responsible for banishing snakes from Ireland. He was also known as a patron saint of Ireland, but the holiday named in his honor is probably better known for its never-ending flow of green beer, hooligans and shenanigans. Before you hit up the bar for some festive ale, perhaps you should consider taking on some green habits as part of your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Here are a few green tips to help keep the environment happy.
Forget the Car, Use Your Feet
There is a lot of talk about how you should switch over to a hybrid like the Toyota Prius (factory recalls notwithstanding) or maybe even to a full electric like the Chevy Volt. Those may be a step in the right direction, but it’s even better if you avoid using any real fuels altogether!
For places that are within reasonable walking distance, put on some comfortable shoes and foot it. Try walking to the bar and, if it happens to be a little further away, you might consider using a bicycle, even a skateboard. If you plan on getting completely inebriated, you may want to take advantage of public transportation and have the bus driver get you home safe. Also, many city buses are powered using green energy sources like hydrogen or electric.
Switch to More Efficient Light Bulbs
When you go to just about any trade show or major indoor complex, you’ll get bombarded with a ceaseless supply of artificial light. There’s not much that you personally can do about that, but you can make some changes in your own home to save some power.
There are arguments that the very manufacture of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) isn’t environmentally-friendly. However, I think the reduced waste and extended life offset what you would otherwise have with incandescent bulbs. The simple switch to CFLs can save you a lot on your power bills and the lights last a lot longer too. Better still, try to avoid using artificial light whenever possible. It’s not necessary to turn on your living room lights in the middle of the day when you could just as easily pull back those blinds and let in some natural light through the window.
Another great alternative to fluorescent bulbs are LED light bulbs. These lights use even less power, are far more environmentally friendly in the disposal stage and provide even more eye friendly lighting due to them not flickering. LEDs are even used in light panels that fight SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) so they can potentially make you feel better. They also last even longer so despite some hefty initial capital per bulb, they will far outlast your fluorescents. Companies like Glacial Light in Taiwan are capitalizing on this technology and are creating replacements for pretty much every bulb, even fluorescent tubes and halogens.
Recharge Just About Every Battery in Sight
Single-use batteries end up in the landfills and leak all sorts of chemicals into the soil. This is both wasteful and inefficient. Make the switch to rechargeable batteries for the majority of your everyday needs instead. This can start with something as simple as your digital cameras and can quickly expand to other items like video game controllers.
Do you know how many alkaline batteries you’d burn playing with your Wii or Xbox 360? Do you know how much better it is to use a charging base with rechargeable batteries or battery packs? Having a rechargeable option also keeps the gameplay going for longer hours as you basically have a fresh set of batteries every time you pull them off the charger.
Say Goodbye to the Plastic Bottle
I can understand why you may not like drinking tap water and that’s why you may feel compelled to buy flats of bottled water at Costco. Even if you recycle all of those bottles, you are still leaving a large and unnecessary footprint on the environment.
Instead, it is much more efficient to invest in something like the Pur or Brita filtration systems to get better-tasting and cleaner water from the tap. The same idea can be expanded to many of the bottled beverages that you purchase from the grocery store; if you must, buy the bigger bottles and pour into glasses rather than using individual bottles. In like manner, bring a reusable mug to your favorite coffee joint. Some places even give you a discount if you do.
At home, investing in a water filtration system like those offered by Brita that mount straight to the tap can give you weeks of clean water between filter changes. You can also use that same water for cooking, making things not only greener but healthier at the same time.
Use Cold Water Instead
While we’re on the subject of water, there is a lot that you can do on that front to minimize your impact on Mother Nature as well. It has been said that using a dishwasher is still more efficient than washing your dishes by hand, but you don’t need to use piping hot water.
Most dishwashers heat up the water that they use with an electronic mechanism and this consumes unnecessary electricity. I was taught that I should use hot water to clean my dishes, but some reports are saying that this isn’t completely necessary in all instances. By using a cold water cycle, you save power.
In like manner, you can do the same when it comes to washing your clothes. You may feel compelled to use a warm or even a hot water cycle in your washing machine, but the cold water cycle can be just as effective in getting your clothes clean. Just pick up a detergent that works properly in cold water and you’ll have clothes as clean as the ones you wash in warm.
Hang Your Clothes to Dry on the Line
Much more so than your computer and television, home appliances consume a great deal of electricity. Your best bet is to try minimizing their use altogether, using non-powered alternatives whenever possible.
If your space allows it, try hanging your clothes out on the line to dry rather than using the clothes dryer. Again, this saves you a great deal on your power bill and the planet will love you for it. Unfortunately, you don’t get that fresh laundry scent that everyone loves. A small price to pay to protect the environment.
Harness the Natural Power Around You
As I mentioned, you should use natural light to illuminate your home instead of relying on artificial light all the time. You can take this idea one step further with solar lighting.
I’m sure you’ve seen some of these garden lights in your local supply store. They’re great for lighting up your walkway at night, since they charge up during the day and illuminate in the evening. Your net power bill for these is effectively zero. As mentioned earlier in the lighting section, LED lights are very efficient and the majority of these devices use LED elements. With a combination of these types of garden lights and outfitting your home with LED lights, you can save a ton of electricity and reduce your power footprint substantially.
The Green Luck of the Irish?
St. Patrick’s Day is more than an excuse to dress up like a leprechaun and chug back on a pitcher of green ale. You can do so much more by choosing to go green in so many different ways. If everyone makes a few small adjustments to how they live day to day, I’m sure Al Gore will smile a little more often. And that’s one way to get a happy St. Patty’s Day, right?
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