Impactful Ways To Kickstart Your Eco-Friendly Life

Recent data and measurable effects have seen climate change deniers red-faced and discredited. The very tangible reality of the matter was emphasized during global lockdown measures when the environment responded to the extent that no one could have possibly predicted. It is safe to say that with the confirmation we now have, none of us can sit idly by without making some changes to our carbon footprint. The problem is that we don’t always know where to start.

It would be best if you did things like calculate solar cost savings, mitigate power usage redundancy and improve thermal efficiency. It is these kinds of phrases that very quickly overwhelm one, making it understandable why we often procrastinate on making any substantial change. This is not to mention that when it comes to eco-friendly solutions, it seems to be some faux pas not to have a master’s degree worth of knowledge on the matter.

To simplify the decision for you, we have rounded up a few practical and manageable ways to decrease our impact on the environment. There is no need to adopt the near militant fervor that more extreme environmentalists do, you can make a difference with a few simple changes.

Support Biodegradables

A sore point to environmentalists is a lot of the standard measures are, upon further scrutiny, not all that great for the environment after all. Recycling is a big concern to those in the know because the amount of pollution generated in the process makes the practice’s efficacy questionable.

Biodegradability refers to materials that decompose rapidly, without toxicity. This is more or less the opposite of conventional plastics, as these materials will degrade back into natural materials in a similar way as what organic foods do. Supporting companies with products that use these safer methods also have a knock-on effect, encouraging more companies to follow suit. In addition to biodegradables, eco-friendly cleaning is another simple way to lead a greener lifestyle.

 Supplementing With Green Power

Going completely green would mean going off the power grid, or at least taking similarly extreme measures. This is the ideal, but it is also a bit impractical and costly for most of us. The national average for a net-zero green home is $274,000 or $97.00 per square foot, plus an additional $19,000 in one-time costs.

There are more straightforward and less expensive measures you can take. Remember, every effort helps, even if it is just a small decrease in your reliance on power generated from fossil fuels. There are a lot of fantastic options for solar cells, home turbines and small hydroelectric solutions you can purchase online.

 Maximizing Efficiency

There are a lot of small considerations concerning power usage that we take for granted. We simultaneously accept that some forms of energy, like heat, go to waste, whilst assuming that there are no real solutions to these losses. There was a time when the very best you could do was insulate your water boiler and double glaze your windows. In recent years, the technology that encompasses the scope of thermal energy savings has grown in both capacity and efficiency.

For instance, there are advanced solar thermal panels to supplement electric heating systems. Hot water uses less power to boil than cold water does, and it is common sense principles like this that inform measures like these. You may even opt to use ‘thermal batteries’ to store excess heat for reuse.