Improvements to Reduce Carbon Emission on Household

There are some suggestions that can help to reduce the carbon emissions for household.
Either in the house lived 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 persons, as long as all the members in the house
know well how to help saving our world, the numbers are not the big issue even it is still one
of the factors. Many of the experts have come out with the suggestions to improvise the
reduction of carbon footprint.
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Firstly, the most common way to reduce the carbon footprint of humans is the 3 Rs. Reduce,
Reuse and Recycle. Nothing should be disposed or buried into the soil. All the ferrous
materials which are prone to degrade or oxidize with time should be sold as early as possible.
This can also be done by using reusable items such as thermoses for daily coffee or plastic
containers for water and other cold beverages rather than disposable ones. If that option isn't
available, it is best to properly recycle the disposable items after use. Do our part to reduce
waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. We can recycle paper, plastic,
newspaper, glass and aluminium cans. Start recycling programme or campaign in our
community if not have any. By recycling half of your household waste, we can save about
2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning

By adding insulation to the walls and attic of one's home, and installing weather stripping or
caulking around doors and windows one can lower their heating costs more than 25 per cent.
It can help in reducing the amount of energy that we need to heat and cool home. One can
also turn down the heat while sleeping at night or away during the day, and keep
temperatures moderate at all times. Based on the research conducted, setting thermostat just 2
degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon
dioxide each year.

3. Buy Energy-Efficient Products

When it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances
now come in a range of energy-efficient models. Also need to avoid products that come
with excess packaging, especially moulded plastic and other packaging that can't be recycled.
If we can reduce our household garbage by 10 per cent, we can save about 1,200 pounds of
carbon dioxide annually. In addition, always pay attention to the total lifetime cost, including
energy, not just the price tag. Look for the ENERGY STAR label. The labels were
established in order to help users to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants
caused by the inefficient use of energy. It will be much easier to identify and purchase
energy-efficient products that offer savings on energy bills without sacrificing performance,
features, and comfort. Hence, in general different appliances of household can cause their
very own value carbon footprints. We can say that, the greener the technology concept
involved, the carbon emissions produced will be reduced.

4. Lighting

Compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far
less energy than standard light bulbs. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs. Lighting in our house also plays an important role to increase
the carbon emission. Wherever practical, replace regular or conventional light bulbs with
compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb
with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than
incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 per cent less heat. For
example in U.S., if every family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would
eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the
road. It is quite a huge effect that are coming from bulbs or lighting appliances.

5. Use Less Hot Water

Set the water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it is
more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save hot water and about 350 pounds of
carbon dioxide yearly. For tasks such as laundry and washing dishes, use cold water unless
the items being washed must be washed with warm water. This will eliminate wasting energy
on heating the water. That change alone can save at least 500 pounds of carbon dioxide
annually in most households. Use the energy-saving settings on the dish washer and let the
dishes air-dry.

6. Use the "Off" Switch
We can see that switching off appliances when are not using them like a small matter. In
truth, it helps to reduce the consumption of energy and help reduce carbon emission. Save
electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and using
only as sufficient light as we need. Remember also to turn off the appliances such as
television, video player, stereo and computer when not using them. It is a good idea to turn
off the water when you're not using it. While brushing teeth, shampooing the dog or washing
the car, turn off the tap water until we actually need it for rinsing. It can help reduce water
bill and conserve a vital resource. Plug the appliances and electronics into a power strip or
unplug them when they are not in use. Many devices continue to consume energy when they
are not in use if they are left plugged into a standard electrical socket. A power strip can be
turned off. Doing so will cut power to the unused devices. If dont have a power strip, unplug
everything that is not in use.

7. Plant a tree at home lawn.
The age old classic, we all did it in elementary school and it is still the most efficient way to
help the environment. Not only do they provide shade and oxygen but they consume CO
2
at
the same time. The home owner also can make the plants as decorations to their house.
Planting native plants that are well-suited for area is a good recommendation. They generally
require less fertilizer, need less extra water, and are less prone to pests, reducing the need for
pesticides.

8. Dont waste food.
Mom was right. It seems funny but about one-quarter of all the food prepared annually in the
U.S., for example, gets tossed, producing methane in landfills as well as carbon emissions
from transporting wasted food. Eat less meat. Meat processing consumes a great deal of fossil
fuels, which contribute carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. A vegetarian can save at least
3,000 pounds of CO
2
per year compared to meat eaters. If we are not a vegetarian, just
increase the number of vegetarian meals in each week by one or two. Also, poultry is less
greenhouse gas intensive than beef.



References
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Take-action/Reduce-your-carbon-footprint
http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm
http://www.carbonfund.org/reduce
http://www.energystar.gov
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/energyconsumption.html