10 ways to save the planet

by | May 12, 2019 | Useful Info |

It’s been a while since I last wrote.  It’s not for want of trying, but since I’ve been at The Old Surgery I’ve been the busiest I’ve ever been with clients.  It’s a fantastic position to be in as so many therapists struggle to turn their passion into a full-time job, but it does mean I don’t get the chance to write as much as I’d like, and writing is my second greatest love!

This post is a bit of a departure for me because it’s not about the work that I do, but it is about something that matters to me a great deal, and that’s saving our planet. While I was doing some research for this article I found a few interesting facts:

  1. It takes more energy to make 1 kg of paper than it takes to make 1 kg of steel
  2. 1 kwh of electricity from a UK plug socket takes almost 3 kwh of energy to produce
  3. Switching from the font ‘Arial’ to ‘Century Gothic’ saves 30% ink on printing
  4. Around 16,000 litres of water is consumed to make just 1 kg of beef
  5. Recycling a single 330 ml aluminium drink can saves enough energy to power a TV for over 3 hours
  6. It takes around 2,700 litres of water to make a single cotton t-shirt

Far too many people think that they’re powerless to effect change; or believe that it’s up to politicians to save the World.  Whilst undoubtedly it’s true that they could always do more, if we all became more conscious consumers we could make a difference.  It’s not just about the “big stuff”, as these facts beautifully illustrate.

I’ve made a pledge to set aside some time every day to think about how I can do more to reduce my carbon footprint, and here are 10 things I’ve decided to do, or am already doing:

  1. Switching off sockets when not in use (including unplugging my devices as soon as they’re charged)  
  2. Making my clothes last twice as long between washes
  3. Only printing things when absolutely necessary
  4. Trying to restrict my clothes buying to second-hand and charity shops
  5. Switching the font I use for items that are going to be printed
  6. Eating plant-based and seasonally as much as possible
  7. Using the local refilling service for things like laundry liquids, shampoos and soaps
  8. Using natural cleaning products
  9. Growing my own salad greens
  10. Using loose tea instead of tea bags

It’s all easy stuff, right?  Can you make a pledge to do 10 things to help save the World?

 

Image by annca from Pixabay

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