How to Save the Environment at Home

There are plenty of little steps that people can take at home to help save the environment. While the eco-footprint of each step is small, thousands of people doing the same thing can make a difference. In making some small changes to the way that you do things at home, you are gradually making a difference, even as an individual. You will kill costs and improve your health at the same time, so helping to save the environment isn’t a totally altruistic exercise!

Throughout the House

1. Turn off appliances when you are not using them. Up to 30% of power used by TV’s is used while they are turned off, so buy power strips and just flip the switch on the power strip, because they use far less energy while turned off.
2. Lower the thermostat by a few degrees in winter. An extra layer or blanket will not only keep you cozy but will help to reduce your electricity bill significantly.
3. Make sure that the house is fully insulated. Insulation keeps the heat and cool on the correct side of your living space. Consider not only the ceiling but also the walls and under the floors.
4. Use windows to regulate the temperature.
5. Install ceiling fans instead of air conditioning units to keep rooms comfortable in warm weather.
6. Fill the gaps. Gaps reduce energy efficiency in a home. By caulking gaps around windows and doors, you increase the ability of your house to retain heat and cool at the right times of year, allowing your heating and cooling systems to work less.
7. Switch to compound fluorescent lightbulbs. They last longer and consume one-quarter of the energy. Lately, LED lamps have started to pick up the pace too — they are up to ten times as effective as fluorescent, and totally blow incandescent bulbs off the charts.
8. Turn off the lights. Always turn off the lights when you are not using them. Rooms that are lit with nobody in them are wasteful.

In the Kitchen

1. Recycle, recycle, recycle. Some cities already require people to sort their trash into paper, metals, glass, and organic waste. Even if your city doesn’t, you can launch a growing trend. Set up four separate waste baskets, and make sure the contents end up in the appropriate recycle bins.
2. Air dry your dishes. Stop the dishwasher before the dryer cycle commences. Leave the door slightly ajar (or more open if you have the space) and let the dishes air-dry. The drying cycle of the dishwasher consumes a lot of energy.
3. Avoid Creating Trash. Avoid disposable products, such as plates, cups, napkins and cutlery. Use reusable towels and dishwashing cloths in place of paper towels and disposable dish sponges.

Global Warming Hoax

Pertemuan G-20 baru saja usai. Pemanasan global adalah salah satu topik utama yang dibicarakan. Para pemimpin dunia menyerukan dunia bersatu untuk melawan pemanasan global yang diperkirakan akan membawa bumi pada suhu mematikan di tahun 2100. Kita bisa melihat usaha pemimpin negara G-20 melawan pemanasan global menjadi headline di berbagai media utama di dunia. Namun entah kenapa hampir tidak ada media massa yang meliput pidato Prof. Mojib Latif pada konferensi PBB mengenai iklim bumi di Jenewa pada awal September 2009 kemarin.

Beberapa waktu sebelumnya, saya pernah menulis mengenai Teori konspirasi Pemanasan Global. Dalam tulisan itu saya menceritakan bahwa pandangan Al Gore mengenai pemanasan global yang diterima oleh banyak orang ternyata mendapat tentangan dari banyak ilmuwan. Salah satu penyebabnya adalah adanya data penelitian yang menunjukkan bahwa bumi tidak mengalami pemanasan global dalam dekade ini. Nah kali ini, Al Gore dan pendukungnya kembali mendapat tamparan, bukan dari lawan politiknya, melainkan dari salah seorang ilmuwan yang pro dengannya.

Umumnya jika seorang ilmuwan mengubah pandangan ilmiahnya dengan drastis, maka media massa akan meliputnya secara besar-besaran. Namun tidak kali ini. Pidato Prof. Mojib Latif hampir lolos dari perhatian dunia.

Prof. Latif adalah seorang ilmuwan dari Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences di Jerman. Ia adalah seorang pendukung utama teori yang mengatakan bahwa emisi rumah kaca yang dihasilkan manusia telah menyebabkan peningkatan suhu global di bumi. Ia turut serta dalam menciptakan model iklim yang menjadi patokan bagi banyak peneliti di dunia. Ia juga pernah menerima beberapa penghargaan dalam studi mengenai iklim dan ia adalah seorang peneliti utama di IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), sebuah badan milik PBB yang pada tahun 2007 menerima nobel perdamaian bersama Al Gore.