Your everyday decisions really can make a difference.
by Mary Atkins

1. In public toilets, is it better to use a paper towel or an electric hand dryer?

Go for the hot air. The energy needed to heat and blow air at your hands is far less than the energy needed to make and transport paper towels and haul waste away. One US study found that nine fully grown trees are cut down to supply an average fast food restaurant with paper towels over the year; the tossed towels then create over 450 kilograms of landfill waste. The hand dryer is also more hygienic. Doctors at the University of Ottawa claim the hot air gets into more crevices in the skin, killing off germs quicker.

2. Should I do the dirty dishes by hand or use a dishwasher?

This one’s not so crystal clear, since it all depends on how you hand wash and on the model of dishwasher. According to Tanya Ha, the author of Greeniology, old-style washing, suing one sink for washing and another for rinsing, consumes 15 – 20 liters of water. “However, the amount increases considerably if you rinse dishes under running tap water instead of using a filled sink or bucket.”

Research by the British government’s Market Transformation Programme last year found that dishwashers get items cleaner and use about 75 per cent less water. The key is having a modern model. Dishwashers built today use around 95 per cent less energy than those built 30 years ago, says Ha. Older models can use up to 90 liters of water a load; modern two-drawer dishwashers use as little as nine liters. To be even greener, stick to full loads and use the no-heat or air-dry option.

3. Should I do my laundry in a front-loader or top-loading washing machine?

Front-loaders win, hands down. Top-loaders have faster cycles but they use much more water, energy and detergent. When you are buying a new machine, look for the labels listing its energy and water ratings. Also choose a machine size that suits your household. Even if you’re not planning on buying a new machine, you can still make your current washer more eco-friendly. Clean the filter, use the minimum amount of detergent, stick to cold water and stick with full loads.

4. What should I eat for dinner tonight?

Out of everything you do, what you choose to eat has the biggest impact on the environment, says Rebecca Blackburn, author of Green is Good: Smart Ways to Live Well and Help the Planet. “Farming uses more resources than any other industry. It also produces one fifth of our greenhouse gas emissions.” In fact, one third of the average person’s carbon footprint is due to their intake of animal-based food, which is far more than the impact of driving a car or the energy used in our homes.

So should we turn vegetarian? Blackburn says you’ll be surprised at how much you can help the environment simply by reducing your red meat intake even slightly. In fact, eating three kilograms less red meat each year is equivalent to reducing household water use by half! Blackburn’s handy tip: go for Meatless Monday.

5. Is it correct that flickering fluoro lights on and off uses more energy?

Actually no. New data suggests frequent switching doesn’t shorten the life span of bulbs or waste energy. Compact fluorescent bulbs are basically energy-efficient versions of the strip lighting we used to put in bathrooms. Manufacturer Osram is now selling a bulb that claims can be switched 500,000 times – equivalent to 91 times per day over its 15-year life.

6. When it comes to grocery shopping, should I do a big shop each month or fortnight, or should I shop every few days?

Around the world, billions of dollars worth of food gets thrown out each year. The United Nations Food Programme reports that just five per cent of leftovers in the US alone can feed four million people in Africa. “It’s not just money that’s being wasted, it’s the resources that went into making the food,” says Blackburn. “Do an audit of the fridge before you go shopping and figure out what’s left behind, what went off and why you didn’t eat the food.” So by all means, do a big monthly shop of durables and non-perishables, but buy your fresh fruit and vegetables every couple of days so they don’t sit in the crisper unused.

7. Are the new hybrid cars that much better than small, fuel-efficient, conventional cars?

Hybrid cars are not the be-all and end-all. “Choose the smallest car that you can manage and choose the most fuel-efficient car in that range,” says Blackburn. “You can make a big difference without buying a hybrid,” she adds. “If money’s an issue, you’d be far better off spending the extra money on a rainwater tank, solar hot water, insulation and energy-efficient appliances.”

8. What’s best: curtains or venetian blinds?

When it comes to keeping your house insulated, curtains win hands down. Venetian blinds don’t reduce heat transfer at all; a close-fitting, lined, floor-length curtain with a pelmet will reduce heat loss in winter by one third. To keep the radiant heat out in summer, install outdoor shutters, awnings or miniature louvers. Window films provide some protection from the sun but are less effective than external blinds, and they also don’t protect against heat loss when it’s cold.

9. When it comes to baby, what’s best: disposable nappies or cloth nappies?

Let’s call this a draw. Several independent studies – taking into account all the environmental factors such as raw material and energy usage, emissions of air and water pollution, and even waste management – conclude that both have roughly the same environmental effect. But the dollar cost is another equation.

10. I’m thirsty. Bottled water or tap?

Millions of liters of bottled water consumed each year. Around the world, more than 100 million tons of plastic is produced every year, most of which ends up as landfill. When it comes to tap water, there are no transportation costs or carbon emissions. If the tap water in your home is safe to drink, buy your own water bottle.

11. Solar hot water and solar panels: what’s the difference?

A lot of people get confused about this. One is taking the sun’s energy and heating up hot water. The other is taking the sun’s energy and producing electricity.

If you can imagine going camping with a big black barrel filled with water sitting in the sun, when you had a shower from the barrel, the water would be warm, says Blackburn. That’s essentially the same as the process in a solar hot water system. Solar electricity is more complicated and it’s still quite expensive.

Blackburn says, “It’s not cost effective to install solar panels as a way to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. For much less money, you can install energy-efficient appliances, lights and insulation and reduce your emissions by about half.”

12. Rechargeable versus disposable batteries?

Rechargeables. No question. They work out better on the hip pocket, too. “You buy them once for about $4, versus a normal alkaline battery for $1, but get to use them about 100 times.” And for those who think rechargeable batteries are too fiddly to use and take too long to charge: remember, you’re already using them in your mobile phone and laptop. “If you were using throwaway batteries in your mobile, it would cost more than your phone bill.”

13. Scraps. Should I compost them or throw them straight in the bin?

Up to 50 per cent of domestic waste is food scraps and garden waste that could be composted. Make it easy for yourself: keep a little plastic bin on the kitchen bench, or use a stainless steel cooking pot and line it with newspaper so it cleans more easily. You can compost the strangest things: vegetable oil, tea bags, coffee grounds, vacuum dust, eggshells, hair removed from a brush, shredded paper and cardboard, even dried flower arrangements.

If you live in an apartment, consider a Bokashi bin. It sits under your sink and the fermentation process doesn’t produce smells. When full, visit the communal garden o enrich a friend’s garden. Go to rdasia.com to learn how to make your own Bokashi bin.

source: Reader’s Digest Apr2008 isse, pg106