January 20th, 2010 
Tushar Mathur Earth-friendly practices help future generations, reduce expenses and bolster good health
Sure, we all recycle, reuse and reduce. And most of us turn off the lights when we leave a room. But from adjusting the thermostat setting to choosing the food we buy, there are plenty of other practices around the house that promote a greener life – actions that will not only save money, but also promote a healthier lifestyle and benefit future generations.
Energy
Since appliances are responsible for roughly 17 percent of a household’s energy consumption – refrigerators, washers and dryers being the main culprits – modifying your appliance practice is crucial. Ideally, you can go as far as installing energy saving appliances. But even replacing regular incandescent bulbs with longer lasting, low-energy fluorescent bulbs can make a difference. (For more information see www.energystar.gov.) And the simple act of modifying your home’s thermostat setting can have a positive impact on utility bills. In the winter set your thermostat several degrees lower and in the summer several degrees higher. Since the fridge is the single biggest energy-consuming kitchen appliance, and opening the refrigerator door can account for a good chunk of your electricity bill, think before you browse. Decide what you want in the fridge instead of lingering with the door open.
Water
We all take it for granted but water is, of course, a precious commodity. And heating it is a huge and sometimes needless expense. Going all out green would mean installing a solar hot water heater in your home (For more information, see www.energysavers.gov.) But smaller steps can be taken: clothing could be washed in cold water and, if possible, dried on a rack or outdoors on a clothesline.
Household showers using low-flow showerheads instead of full-flow models can save tens of thousands of gallons of water each year. Taking shorter showers can save not only water but the energy used to heat it, too. (For more information see www.energystar.gov.) Introduce an egg timer in the bathroom and challenge family members to take showers under the three-minute mark. Better still: take baths instead.
As for your drinking water, choose water filters for your refrigerator rather than continually purchasing plastic bottles of water. Not only are water filters less expensive than bottled water, they’re not potential harmful to your health, as plastic can be. And the harm these plastics pose to the environment is nearly immeasurable – billions of tons of plastic is produced each year and most of it ends up in landfills.
Food
Unless it advertises local or organic products, chances are your local major grocery store is stocked with pre-packaged products that have traveled a great distance to get to the shelves (and in the case of “fresh” produce, may contain chemicals needed to preserve them for that trip). As an alternative seek out local farmers’ markets, which can typically be found even in major urban centers (check www.localharvest.org for markets near you). Though the fare can be more pricey, it will likely be higher quality and healthier. By purchasing local produce you’re not only helping to sustain your local farm economy, you’re also reducing the reliance on fuel to transport food from across the country and around the world. (Better still; go on a field trip to a local farm for an edifying look at how produce and animals are managed in the earliest stages of the food cycle.)
Thinking globally and acting locally truly does boil down to the household.
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