50  Simple Ways to Save the Earth Go Green, Live Rich

 David Bach & Hillary Rosner

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In this day and age, being green can mean that you will have greens (dollars).  It actually pays to go green as more and more people areconsciously taking the effort to make this earth a better place to live in,not only for themselves but for their children and the future generation ahead of us.

 

The book presents the following opportunities to the reader;

*         To adopt any of the 50 ways to live greener,  OR

*         To use the 50 ways to beneficially improve ones personal or company bank statement

 

The steps to understanding a green life is simple:-

1.      Knowing how you impact the earth - Calculate it

2.      Driving with a conscience - Is your car necessary?

3.      Think of the energy we use up - Are you wasting electricity?

4.      Think of the resources we waste - Where do our water go?

5.      Live within a 'green ' environment - Is your home efficient?  Have you made the right choice?

6.      Spending wisely ; Shop responsibly - Green and fair-trade doesn't necessarily spell 'expensive

7.      Use back resources sensibly - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

8.      Incorporate 'green' into your family values - Raising a family the green way

9.      Go green at work - We can save heaps here - Electricity, Paper, Water, Waste

10.  Save up lots from living green - Make 'green' give you green (dollar)

 

Several green ways which we can easily adopt to help make a difference:

 

Fuel Economy - Maintenance is important.  Keeping the engine, tyres and body in good condition may save you a lot of money.  The best is still car-pooling or public transport.  Cars lose its values over the years and

are never a wise investment.  Only when it is absolutely needed then get one, but choose and maintain sensibly.

Save up on electricity - Unplug or turn off switches for appliances that are not needed.  Households makes up 20% of our yearly energy needs.  Do an audit, or a simple experiment on energy consumption at home and you would be surprised at the difference in expenditure when you make an effort to cut usage.

 

Plant trees - Surprisingly the shade that a tree provides from the sun can help you save up from using up energy for air conditioning.  It works the same for winter months when trees become a wind breaker hence cutting on heating bills.

Spending Wisely - Buying in bulk, buying fair trade and bringing your own bag when you go out shopping may save you money.  Several large supermarkets in Sabah have adopted the 'bring your own bag' policy for a certain day, but the process will soon upgrade as people become more and more aware.  Buying

in bigger bulk means using lesser packaging, hence less space wasted. Eating sensibly can also help make the earth greener; less meat, more vegetable.  Vast tracks of rainforest around the world are cleared to make

space for livestock rearing due to increasing demand.  Eating less meat, ensures that demand could be controlled, hence a cooler earth.

 

Start a culture that Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - Paper, bottles and cans can be recycled by ourselves, if not by an authorized recycling outlet.  Your old junk at home could very well be treasure for others, open up a Yard Sale and see how much money you can make just from selling your old stuff.

 

Do we need junk mail? - Inform companies to immediately stop sending you junk mail as it is a waste of paper.  Why not take the modern approach of sending in promotion by email?

 

Do something 'Green' with your family - Have a healthy outdoor activity to open up the eyes and mind of your family members.  It is the first step to appreciating the beauty of the natural surrounding and also a great way of strengthening family ties.

 

Bag your lunch - You can save tones of money when you bring your own lunch from home.  Reusable containers are the best.  No Styrofoam box please.  A quarter of the human litter actually comes from food packaging and cigarette butts.