Tips For A Sustainable Home
July 18, 2019
Sustainability is a big deal in 2019. It’s a global concern — making sure the planet can survive well into the future — but something that will take individual actions in order to make a reality. If you’re ready to do your part over at the Alameda waterfront apartments, why not follow some of these tips for more sustainable living and transform your impact on the world and the environment?
What Is Sustainability and Why Is It Important?
The individual topics broached by sustainability are broad and multifaceted, but the main thrust of it is summed up well by the folks over at EnvironmentalScience.Org:
“When we hear the word sustainability we tend to think of renewable fuel sources, reducing carbon emissions, protecting environments and a way of keeping the delicate ecosystems of our planet in balance. In short, sustainability looks to protect our natural environment, human and ecological health, while driving innovation and not compromising our way of life.”
Indeed, a large part of sustainability, when used in everyday language, is exploring methods that we as individuals can take to lessen humanity’s impact on the environment, helping to preserve environmental quality and the quality of life for everything inhabiting the earth. It’s a bit easier said than done in some instances, though, so we’ll start by laying out some simple changes you can make that will incrementally reduce deleterious impacts on mother earth.
What You Can Do at Home
As we mentioned above, sustainability starts on an individual level, through the choices that you make at home. You don’t have to rush out and buy an electric vehicle straight away, but there are still plenty of small changes you can make to your lifestyle that will get the ball rolling. One such example is going for energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs over those that aren’t as efficient in their energy use.
The benefit here is clear — such appliances use less power, and hence, fewer resources — and as an added bonus, you might find yourself saving on those electric bills in the future as well. As far as those lights are concerned, by the way, LEDs are the way to go, as they use 75% less energy (and can go 25 times longer) than your traditional incandescent bulbs.
Continuing the discussion of saving energy, you can make some significant impacts on your energy usage by simply unplugging your electronics. We all have that habit of leaving the charger plugged into the wall, but that simple act of laziness can actually use up more power. Unplug it when it’s not in use, and you’ll have already started to make a difference when it comes to energy consumption. You can go further, if you’d like, by drying your clothes on a line rather than using the machine. In fact, the dryer uses more energy than most of your other appliances, so cutting it out of the equation is a great way to save money and power.
And beyond these obvious ways to save power, there’s another method you can employ that you might not have thought of: use your smartphone and other internet-connected electronics less. Why, you might ask? To access those snazzy internet-related features, send messages, and stream content, you’re putting those data centers to work in a big way, and that uses a lot of electricity. Stream less, it seems, and the whole planet saves just a little bit more.
Another simple change you can make is ditching the plastic bottles. Even when you recycle, you’re still using plastic (which is a serious strain on resources), and that’s IF you recycle. Some estimates show that most plastic bottles still end up in the trash anyway (and only a portion of those sent to recycling can actually be recycled). The end result? Plastic bottles sitting in landfills, taking millennia to biodegrade. The alternative is clear (and cheap). Get a reusable bottle, and avoid bottled drinks when you can (which is easy to do if you stick to water).
While we’re on the topic of water, there are two more things you can do to conserve. The first is to shorten your shower time. Ideally, you want to cut it down to five minutes maximum, but even if you eliminate just a minute from your showers each day, you can save upwards of 150 gallons of water in a month’s time. How’s that for conservation? You can also help save water by promptly repairing any leaks in your home (faucets, pipes, etc.). The longer you let those linger, the more water ends up going to waste.
Sustainability at home isn’t just about what you’re taking out of your life, though, there are also things you can add to help you reach the goal, like house plants. In addition to providing some lovely decoration, plants in your home help purify the air of toxic substances, leading to a better quality of life for you and yours. It’ll take a bit more responsibility on your part to care for your houseplants, of course, but the results are well worth the effort, we assure you.
And sustainability at home extends to your purchasing habits. If you’re buying produce, for instance, go local as often as you can. Buying from non-local sources uses up loads of resources in the transportation process, and those vehicles transporting all that food around emit tons of greenhouse gasses. You can help support your local community and cut down on those environmental impacts simply by choosing your local farmers over those halfway across the country.
Keep the Alameda Waterfront Apartments Safe
There’s no two ways about it — Alameda communities like Admiral’s Cove are a sight to behold, but they won’t stay that way if we’re not all committed to keeping the earth safe. Remember to do what you can to make your home more sustainable, and remember that by making choices to lessen your individual impact on the environment, you’re helping secure a brighter future for everyone around.