Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update
The SMART goal I have committed to is making a conscious effort to use less electricity in my home. I definately made some changes this week, small ones but it was a good start. I focused on using less lights. What helped me the most was to assess a room I was going to hang out in. I would ask myself if the lights being used were necessary or not. Then I would make sure all of the lights throughout the rest of house were not in use. A challenge I faced was laziness, if I sat down before turning off unnecessary lights it was hard to motivate myself to get back up and do so. I kept having feelings that my efforts would not make any difference at all. But then I did the assignment we were given on finding our ecological footprint and it definately gave me more motivation.
This week I learned that everything each of us does in our daily lives totally makes a difference on the environment. Even small changes that people don't usually think of. It is awesome to know we can make a difference in this way.
For this next week, I plan to make more changes than just turning off lights. My goal is to use less water. I will go about this by timing my showers, cutting down on laundry, and soaking dishes by using only one sink of water rather than letting it run to wash them all. Water is not something I usually think about using too much of, but our monthly water bill shows proof that it does, in fact, affect our environment. Bring it on week 2!!!
You bring up a great point in the process of making the effort to change... the challenge of not being lazy. I totally empathize with that challenge at times!
ReplyDeleteIt also brings up the coolness about how doing something for a period of time really does create new habits. Recycling used to seem like work with needing it to go in a different container than the garbage, and now it is just something I do with out a lot of thought. I'm guessing that is the way it is for many people. It is now hard for me to imagine NOT recycling and it is hard when I see people thoughtlessly throwing recyclables away. It is cool to look back and see that change in myself.
Your good inspiration. I noticed that there is this hall light I have been leaving on more frequently lately and I don't know why... I hardly USED it for a very long time.
How is the water challenge going? I have gotten much better about turning it off when I don't need it as I brush my teeth. And, like you, not having it running when I wash my dishes the whole time as I did when I was growing up.
Keep us posted with ideas!
Every night, I come home and realize I accidentally left a light on somewhere in my house. Whether it is the hall light, the bathroom, or the lamp by my bedside... I have a terrible habit of leaving something on.
ReplyDeleteHalf the time, I will leave my house in the middle of the day when I can't just look in the window and immediately tell I left a light now. I have started asking myself "why do I even bother turning lights on in the middle of the day when the sun is plenty bright to light a room anyways?". It is such a habit to turn on a light when I walk in to a room... whether I need it or not!
It's also easy to forget to conserve electricity when you're not paying the bill. To my benefit, my landlord pays for my utility use. I don't ever see how much I am using on paper so it's not difficult to waste.
Keep up the good work. Reading your updates will be good reminders to myself to follow in your footsteps.
I am pretty good about turning the lights off when I don't need them. I rarely use lights during the day and try to take advantage of the natural sunlight. However, I have bad habits of leaving my fan on during the night and throughout the day. I also forget to turn things off like my printer, or unplug my computer when it is done charging. You are right that even the smallest things like the examples I listed above can make a difference. I look forward to seeing other ways you come up with for saving electricity!
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