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Reduce your carbon footprint by 50% in just 10 minutes
Do you know that the average Singaporean lifestyle generates about 8.27 tons of carbon dioxide each year? To sustain our current consumption patterns, we would need the equivalent of four Earths to support everyone with the necessary oxygen and natural resources.
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The good news is, you can help reduce your personal carbon footprint by up to 50% simply by adjusting your lifestyle - and you won't even have to give up your creature comforts.
All it takes is just 10 minutes of your time. This is how you do it.
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1. |
Replace your light bulbs
If you're still sporting incandescent light bulbs at home, it's time for long overdue home improvement. Replacing one light bulb with a Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL) which is just as bright , saves around 68kg of carbon dioxide and lasts 8 to 10 times longer. That's almost 75% reduction in wasted energy for each light bulb alone.
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Take a cold shower
Save water, energy and boost your immune system by taking a cold shower, which produces no carbon dioxide at all. If you like your water warm, just reducing the temperature of your water heater by 10°C saves over 200kg of carbon dioxide from being produced.
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Don't leave appliances on standby
The little blinking button that puts your appliances on standby mode actually consumes 10 to 60 percent of the energy that powers them. So shut down and unplug your devices. Do this all year, and you can prevent an estimated 560kg of carbon dioxide from being released, and save $50 or more on your bill.
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Wash on a full load
Washing machines and dryers are two of the biggest carbon emission offenders. And the culprit is actually hot water. Whenever hot water is used to wash clothes, nearly 500kg of carbon dioxide is produced, 150kg more if you use a dryer. Using cold water, on the other hand, produces only 90kg of carbon dioxide! You do the math.
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Reduce half of your garbage
0.03 tons of carbon dioxide is emitted when you throw away 1kg of trash. If you recycle just half of the waste you generate, you can reduce your yearly carbon emission by 5.5 tons! On top of that, you can help to cut down on the amount of energy and raw material required to produce them in the first place.
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Tweak your air-conditioning
Clean and replace dirty filters in your air conditioning unit, and save between 70kg and 160 kg of carbon emissions. Set the temperature of your air conditioning to 5°C below the ambient temperature, or 25°C or higher. For every degree raised, you can save about $20 a year.
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Reduce unnecessary travel
Jets and airplanes emit the most carbon dioxide today. Business travellers can do their part by using alternative ways such as video conferencing and telepresence to conduct transnational business. This reduces the need to travel by up to 30%, and can help to improve your bottom line as they make you more responsive as well.
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Buy intelligently
The packaging your groceries and food come in requires more energy than what is needed to produce your consumables. Be a smart shopper - go for value, rather than looks. Refills and bulk size goods can cut down up to 50% of your carbon emission. Goods made from recycled paper take 70% to 90% less energy to produce, so when you next stock up, keep these in mind!
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Pamper your car
Save 150kg of carbon by servicing your car regularly. What's even better is this: reduce your week mileage by 80km and stop 8.92 tons of carbon from polluting our atmosphere every year! This is easily achieved by choosing public transport on the days you head out to town. It's faster, and prevents the frequent stops and starts at busy traffic junctions that wreak havoc on your engine.
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Go veggie, go local
Meat takes 30% more carbon emission than vegetables to produce. Air flown products take the plane to get to you, which generates thousands of tons of carbon each year. By eating more vegetables, and supporting local fare, you can lighten your carbon footprint, stimulate your taste buds and improve your health all at once. Isn't that great?
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