5 Ways To Go Green This Fall

The atmosphere in Fall looks colorful and exciting, with trees and bushes in your yard transforming into electric yellow, blazing orange, and fiery red. It is a great time to be outdoors without the scorching heat of the sun. But while the green may be disappearing from trees, it is a great time to go green by making your daily activities a little more eco-friendly, and reduce your carbon footprint.

How to Go Green:

1. Driving your car less

It helps to car pool or use public transportation whenever possible. But as Thanksgiving draws near, you may find yourself with more errands to run than usual. It helps to create a plan of things you need to do, or drive with one of your neighbors.

2. Using napkins and cloth dish towels

Paper towels can be used to clean just about every mess, from greasy stains to sauce spills. While it is hard to completely do away with them, consider using napkins and cloth dish towels to clean the not so appalling messes.

3. Turning down the thermostat

As the temperatures drop, you should turn down the dial to 68 degrees to reduce your energy bills and carbon footprint. This is the ideal temperature for efficient operation of your heating system. If it is not sufficient, try grabbing a pullover or snuggle up with a blanket instead of raising the temperature. You may also want to install a programmable thermostat so you don’t waste energy heating an empty house when your family is at school or work.

4. Insulating

Heating systems are most effective if you are able to keep the heat inside. Sealing windows and doors is not enough if you have thin walls. So, insulate the outer walls of your house to trap more heat.

5. Cleaning your yard

Substitute your gas or electric-powered tools like weed whackers and lawn mowers, for manual tools like hand cutters and reel mowers. Also, use the old-fashioned rake to clean up the leaves as they begin to fall, instead of a leaf blower. While powered tools get the work done faster and neater, they use energy that is harmful to the environment- fumes, spills, and emissions. Once done, collect the leaves and compost them to enrich your soil or as a mulch.

Lastly, bring any potted plants indoors if you want them to survive the extreme weather outdoors. They will also help freshen up the air in your house.