August 20, 2013 – WWF announced this day to be the “Earth Overshoot Day”. What does it mean? No, the Earth is not shooting itself into space. The truth is far more concerning, as the humans have consumed, up until this day, all the natural resources the Earth can produce. This involves energy resources, food, water and its ability to regenerate them. We are now loaning from what should be a reserve and from what should be the supply for next year.
Accumulating waste and gas emissions, as well as consuming more than what the Earth can give us, and, for sure, more than what we really need, has driven our beloved planet to spiral down towards collapse.
This is the moment when we need to start thinking about our planet and our children and start giving up on those bad habits that make life so easy and pleasurable. No one says we have to start living as Neanderthals, but a few minor changes can make the Earth live longer and healthier.
#1 – Save Energy And You’ll Be Richer!
We live in a world full of light and color and sometimes forget that the energy needed to power up all our electronic devices comes mostly from burning coal and nuclear power that harm our environment. A few simple tricks will help you save energy and put a few pennies in your wallet each day!
- Change your incandescent light bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs): your power bill will go down with up to 20% EACH MONTH! (your piggy bank will grow fatter and fatter by the day)
- Unplug all appliances that you do not use regularly – even if your smartphone is not charging anymore, there is a “vampire energy use” that gets consumed by going nowhere. Unplugging all electronic devices when they are closed and you are at work will lower your electricity bill with another 5%
- Stop using hot water when you wash your clothes. Not only will you ruin them (the rinsing is always done with cold water streaming on your hot clothes and this thins the fabric), but 85% of the power the washing machine uses is just for heating the water
- Stop using the drier – People have been using clotheslines and drying racks for ages – do you really need those clothes dried NOW? Be smart, plan in advance and save some pennies!