Summer is finally here! Hot temperatures, vacations, air conditioning and patios – summertime is something we look forward to all year long. Unfortunately the environment tends to take a thrashing in the summer – the hot temps and increase in travel means higher gas and energy consumption. Busch Systems has got your back with ways that you can enjoy the summertime while being green at the same time!
5. Ditch the Dryer – Hang Your Clothes
Why not use those hot summer temperatures to dry your clothes? While they are fast and convenient dryers are energy hogs. A good breeze, hot temperatures and some sunshine is all you need to get the job done. Unless you live in a place that has constant rain and humidity at the 100% mark, you have no excuse for using the dryer in the summer.
4. Use AC Sparingly
There’s a variety of different tricks you can use to keep your house or apartment cool – like keeping your blinds closed, make ceiling fans rotate counter clockwise, get rid of incandescent bulbs and replace them with the energy efficient variety, or use a centuries old trick of terracotta and clay to cool your surroundings. If you cave in and need air conditioning, make sure your AC unit is energy star certified, and only use it sparingly – if you find yourself wanting to put on a sweater in your house in the middle of summer, turn the AC down!
3. Get Energy Saving Light Bulbs
Making the switch to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) is also a great way to cut down on your energy consumption. CFLs use a fraction of the energy of incandescent bulbs and they also emit less heat when in use – less energy and heat is a winning combination in the summer.
Bonus Fact: One CFL bulb in every American home saves enough energy to light more than 3 million homes!
2. Shop at a Farmers Market
Many of us have gotten used to the convenience of the supermarket, but a lot of energy and gas goes into delivering goods and produce to these stores. Why buy produce grown hundreds of miles away when you can buy the same thing, grown locally, at a farmers market! Want to lower your carbon footprint even more? Only buy certain produce (like sweet corn and berries) when it’s in season in your area.
1. Use More Human Power and Less Machine Power
As the saying goes “you’ve got two feet and heartbeat”, so rather than drive everywhere in the summer why not walk or ride a bike? Depending on where you live summer can be a precious commodity so you might as well get out there and enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. Thinking of travelling far? Why not have a “staycation”, avoiding the environmental impact of flying while having a vacation that you don’t need a vacation from.
Considering the ridiculous price of gas out there, why not save yourself some money? Being green will keep the green in your wallet and keep carbon from getting pumped into the atmosphere.
