Thinking Green - Our Homes & Beyond

There are a lot of environmentally friendly, or green issues, relating to products used in around the family home, or in our lives further afield.  Here are some things to think about to help you make 'green' decisions and changes!

Cleaning

There are a lot of issues relating to environmentally friendly cleaning around the house, here are a few to consider:
 

Do you know all of the ingredients in your cleaners ? What is the active ingredient in your cleaner ? Does your cleaner cause breathing, eye or skin irritation ? Is your cleaner made from natural ingredients ? What does toxic mean ? Is your cleaner considered a poison ? What are environmentally friendly cleaning products ?

Energy

Energy bills are a concern for any household, therefore the incentive to go for green energy must include a reduction in cost at some point. Not just in green energy or more sustainable energy but in energy usage.

Here are some considerations in relation to reducing energy use as well as using green energy: 

Why do you see more and more solar cells on household roofs ? Is solar power cheaper for my household ? How much does solar power costs to install ? Is solar power affordable ? What is wind power ? Can I power my house with a wind generator ? Is solar power effective ? Can I make money back with solar power ? How much are solar batteries ? Are compact fluorescent lights cheaper to run ? Why can we no longer buy household filament globes in Australia ? How much power is used when a machine is on standby ? What is the household cost of all the items that are on standby for a year ? What energy using devices in your house are on all-the-time ? What are energy star ratings ? How could you more efficiently use a fridge, an oven, a pool ? What situations involve the use of a number of electronic devices at once (video games / dvd ) ? What is the most economical way to run a reverse cycle air conditioner ? What is the most energy efficient way to heat your house, and cool your house ? Does insulation make my home more energy efficient ? What is the energy star rating system ? Can I monitor my electricity use with a meter ? How do roller shutters reduce energy use ? Can heavy curtains reduce my energy use ? Can carpet reduce my heating costs ? Can roof air vents (whirlybirds) reduce my home energy costs ? How do skylights reduce my lighting energy costs ? What are the best practices for an energy efficient home ?

Food

There's a number of green issues that we can take a look at in regards to food. Here are a few to get you started:

What are the most energy efficient ways to heat food ? What are the most energy efficient ways to keep food cold ? Is it better to buy from a supermarket or a fruit and veg store ? How far has your food you buy travelled (what are food miles) ? Are there environmental animal issues with certain foods ? Is is more energy efficient for the family to all eat together ? Do you sit in front of the TV when you eat ? Is your food wrapped in plastic wrap or in a plastic container ? What do the recycle numbers on plastic containers mean ? How do microwave ovens effect your food ? What do your pets eat (if you have any) ? How much rubbish is created by food packaging, bones, other waste ? What are the advantages of being vegan or vegetarian ? Are hormones or antibiotics absorbed through your food ? How much food does not get used and wasted ? Do you compost organic materials ? What is your weekly household food bill ? Do you grow any of your own food ?

Water

Water is the lifeblood of pretty much all living creatures. Water seems abundant, but is clean fresh water available everywhere and to everyone? How do we maintain clean water, and how do we reduce our water usage?

How much water does your household use ? What is the cost of your household water usage ? What are the 3 primary water uses in your house ? Do you recycle any water ? What is grey water ? Can I use grey water at my house ? How much does it cost to set up a grey water system ? How can I save water when showering or bathing ? How can I save water with my pool ? Is water from plastic bottles safe to drink ? How far has your bottled water travelled ? What are low flow water saving devices ? What products are grey water safe ? What type of garden is most water efficient ? Does maintaining a lawn use a lot of water ? What is the most efficient way to water lawn or plants ? How can I harvest rain water ? How much is a rain water tank ? What size rain water tank do I need ? Could I have a dam on my property ? When is the best time to water lawn or plants ? What is the most water efficient way to wash my car ? What are the best dual flush toilet systems ? What are the different solar hot water systems ?

Garden

Having a garden is common to most homes. What are some of the issues we might take into consideration to make these gardens areas more eco friendly or sustainable?

Is lawn the best use of an area ? What is drought resistant lawn ? Do trees need a lot of water ? Are flowers a good use of water ? Does effective use of shade save water ? Can I plant plants in a way that is more efficient ? Can I grow my own food ? What fruit trees should I grow ? What vegetables should I grow ? What is a food forest ? What are the best plants for my region ? What are worm farms ? What is garden mulch ? What are the best drip irrigation systems ? Can I use solar lighting outdoors ?

Technology

Technology can play a part in sometimes making our lives easier. They also play a big part in our energy use.

What can we consider in making our use of technology more environmentally friendly?

How many gadgets do you use everyday ? How many gadgets do you own ? Is a mobile phone really necessary ? How many of your devices contain plastic ? How many of your devices seem outdated after only a year or two ? Are your devices using earth resources that are depleting (touchscreens) ? How many devices require power to operate ? How many devices are on standby ? How many TV's do you have in your house ? Is my fridge and freezer energy efficient ? Does microwaving save more energy than a stove? How many computers are operational in your house, how many devices attached ? Can I print on recycled paper ? Can I use a dimmer switch ? Can a timer save me energy? Should I use electric of gas heating ? Are LCD TV's more energy efficient than CRT TV's ?

Clothing

Your families clothing can also take on environmental friendly considerations. Here are just a few things to consider:

Can I put more clothes on instead of turning on the heating ? Is my clothing made of animal products ? Is my clothing going to last a long time ? Does my clothing contain leather ? What are some of the reasons leather might be a concern ? Can I wash my clothing in cold water ? What is the best way to dry my clothes ? What happens to the water after I clean my clothes ? What is the active ingredient in clothes washing products ? What is environmentally friendly stain removal ? Is it better to buy locally made clothes ? Could I make some of my own clothes ?

Waste

Household waste is always a growing concern with more and more rubbish being generated every day, week, month, year. This of course has a huge environmental impact as it has to be dumped somewhere.
Here are some things to consider in relation to household waste:

How much rubbish does my household put in the bin each week ? Where does that rubbish go ? Do I have a recycling bin ? What goes in the recycling bin ? What contains more, the recycling bin or the waste bin ? What do they do at recycling plants ? Are some plastic drinking bottles toxic when re-used ? If you had to keep all of your own rubbish on your own property, would you create less ? What is the 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch' ? How long does it take for plastics to break down ?

Travel

Does travel effect the environment? Are there greener ways to travel? Of course, let's ask ourselves some questions about the effects of travel:

On average how many people travel in your car ? What is the shortest distance you will travel by car ? Can cars run on energy other than oil based fuels ? What is peak oil ? Does transporting food from another country add to the cost ? How much carbon emission is jet plane responsible for ? Which is more green, electric trains or diesel ? What are food miles ? What is a hybrid car ? What is an electric car ? How efficient is an electric car ? How much do hybrid cars cost ? How much do electric cars cost ? Does your city or region support bike tracks and lanes ? How might we travel in the future when oil becomes to expensive ?

Business

Many of the ways business can go green are the same ways household can go green, however here are some issues to think about relating to business:

Can my business be green and profitable ? Does my business generate excessive amounts of carbon ? What are carbon trading schemes ? Does your business use excessive amounts of energy (power, oil) ? How can I offset my flight ? Is the business generating excessive amounts of waste ? Is my business sustainable into the future ? How does my business effect the environment ? What can a business do to enhance the environment ? Does your business support environmental projects ? How can your business use recycled paper ? Can your business use solar power ? How can your business reduce its lighting ? Can my business use electric vehicles ? What is my businesses carbon footprint ?