By Reha Mehmet Erol and Lara Valles
We are all responsible for doing our best to live more sustainably. A great and easy way to do that is to save and use our energy resources responsibly.
Many of us have already started to do this: According to the Financial Times, between 2014 and 2017, household consumption in the UK fell by 19 percent. We can all contribute by taking small steps like buying energy-efficient appliances, switching to LED light bulbs, unplugging electronics, or simply turning off the lights. Lucas Davis, professor at the University of California, Berkeley, pointed out that when you switch from incandescent to LED bulbs, you reduce your energy consumption by 80 percent.
Another idea is to get creative with keeping your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In the summer, you can close windows and doors when your air conditioning is on, pull shades down during the day and open windows at night to take advantage of that evening breeze. During the winter layer up and turn that heater down! You should also turn the air conditioning or heater off when you are leaving home, not only is it good for the planet, it can save you a lot of money. Even if it is your landlord that pays for it, the Earth doesn’t care who pays for i
Lastly, instead of driving, try cycling, walking, taking public transit, or even carpooling. When you live in a big city like Toronto, not owning a car can be a great way to save money. Not to mention that if more people use public transportation, more money could be put into the infrastructure. There is a myriad of other benefits to public transit, like avoiding traffic, getting into shape and never having to worry about car maintenance and other associated costs again.
Do you have other tips for reducing energy usage? Share with us on social media with the #RotaractTO and #MinimalWasteToronto or email us at csctorontorotaract@gmail.com for any ideas or suggestions.
Reha Mehmet Erol is an Industrial Engineer and proud Rotaractor for over five years. He is thrilled to have had the chance to contribute back to the community and getting involved in environmental initiatives. Lara Valles is the community service director for the Rotaract Club of Toronto. She started her minimal waste journey a year ago and is excited to be a part of this community of people that not only care about the environment but are doing their best to fix it.
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