How to Reduce Energy Consumption

This month at Pasture Living, we're doing a series on "I Care for Our Planet!"  in conjunction with us being nominated as a finalist in the "eco challenge" category of the Singapore Blog Award 2013.

The energy we use everyday mainly comes from fossil fuels such as crude oil, natural gas, and coal. We burn these fossil fuels to generate electricity that is used to run machines and power electrical appliances. Cars and buses use petrol or diesel which are produced from fossil fuels. The extraction and burning of fossil fuels results in large amounts of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) to be emitted and cause the earth's temperature to rise (global warming). Fossil fuels take millions of years to form and are considered non-renewable resources. Thus, we need to conserve our energy and depend more on renewable sources of energy, such as solar power, wind power, and hydro power as much as we can. 

There are many things that we can do at home daily to support our environment, such as eating food that minimizes the harmful effects to our environment and managing our waste, but there are also other longer term investments that we can make to be ecologically-friendly and conserve energy in the long run. More and more companies and businesses focus on green movements and develop innovative ways to be environmentally-friendly without sacrificing performance capabilities. Getting well-informed about eco-friendly options on electronics and appliances will benefit the environment as well as saving us money in the long run. 

Here are ten ways we can help to reduce energy consumption:

1. Turn off switches, lights, electronics and appliances when not in use.

2. Buy energy-efficient electrical appliances.

3. Avoid overloading or opening refrigerators unnecessarily.

4. Install inverter-type of air conditioners.

5. Buy electronics that feature maximum energy-saving mode, both in standby and active modes.

6. Look for dishwashers and washing machines that are designed to use less water and electricity. Run them on full loads and on cooler temperatures.

7. Use cellphones that are utilize eco-magnesium, a new type of clean magnesium alloy that do not produce the harms that conventional magnesium brings about.

8. Choose LED lights over conventional light bulbs.

9. Get hybrid or more fuel-efficient cars if you need to have one. Or better yet, take public transportation if that's available in your area. My family decided not to buy a car because public transportation is very convenient in Singapore and on top of that my husband bikes to work almost everyday, 10 km each way. I'm proud of him!

10. Last but not least, educate and share the knowledge! Teaching our children and others how to be a good steward of this place God has graciously blessed us with is probably the most important thing that we can do. We don't see much of the harmful effects now, but if we don't educate and do anything now, their generations and the generations to come will suffer from our ignorance.

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6

Is there anything you can add to the list?