2020-04-03 People South Africa

(Ben Green) #1

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GOINGgreen can make abigdifferenceinhow
you impacttheworld around you. Whenitcomes
to doingyour partfor theplanet, thefirst goal isto
reduce carbon emissionssoyou can helpslow down
temperaturerisefor aslongaspossible.Whilethelion’s
share ofcarbon dioxide productioncomes outofAsia–
accountingfor awhopping75percent oftheworld’s coal
consumption,withChinaaloneeating up50percent –South
Africans can still dotheirpartwhenitcomes to carbon-free
goals. Theseten simplechanges are agreat way to start:

1.THEgenerationofelectricityisbadfor theenvironment.
Whenitcomes to how you conduct work, laptops are almost
always more efficient thandesktops.Theexact fraction varies
dependingontheprocessor,display andotherfactors, but
laptops on average use about a third as much electricityas
desktops.


  1. BECOMING more energy efficient is a great way to prevent
    pollution. LED lightbulbs use up to 80 percent less energy
    than conventional incandescent. They are also cheaper inthe
    long-run.

  2. SAVING water reduces carbon pollution because it takes
    a lot of energy to pump, heat and treat your water. So take
    shorter showers and turn off the tap while brushing your
    teeth.

  3. BOIL just the amount of water that you need
    instead of overfilling the kettle, and unplug
    appliances that are not in use.


5.ELIMINATEelectronicsthat sleepon a standby

10


Ways To


Go Green


At Home


setting; they continue to pulla
current even when‘turnedoff’.

6.DRIERS gobble upalotofpower,
soputtingupalineinasunny spotin
your garden andletting your clothes
get somefresh airisagreat energy
saver.

7.TAKE your own bagswithyou to
thegrocery store. You reduce the
useofplastic, andwe allknow how
dangerousplastic isto theenvironment.

8.PLANTatree. Even onetree can make
aseriousimpactanddogreat thingsfor
theenvironment.

9.PAY allofyour billsonline.Thiswillnotonlysave you timebutwill
alsohelpto reduce paperwastage.

10.DOrainwaterharvesting.Collectrainwateranduseitto water
your lawns andgarden.

D


id


You Kn
o
w
?

I HOPE touse my celebrity to


motivate people andcontribute


to movingour global society


back fromthe brink. I am surprised


environmentis not atthe top of the


agenda.What is moreimportant


thangood andclean air?



  • DonCheadle,actor andUNEnvironmentGoodwill
    ambassador


CLIMATE


change is


the greatest


threat to our


existence in


our short history


on this planet.


Nobody’s going


to buy their way


out of its effects.



  • Mark Ruffalo, actor and
    environmentalist


NEXT week we focus on the many benefits of a
plant-based diet, how to grow your own food in your
backyard, the ins and outs of recycling, and what you
can do to tackle the plastic problem head on!

INCREASINGLY,
businesses around the world
are responding to a global
imperative and consumer
demand to go green. In addition,
more than 80 percent of people
respect companies and brands
that adopt eco-friendly practices,
according to an international
survey.
Free download pdf