If one wants to embrace sustainability into their homes, here are some ways to make homes energy efficient: Try daylighting as an alternative: Daylighting is a way in which natural light can be used to illuminate the home’s interior. This helps in saving energy that is usually used to brighten up liRead more
If one wants to embrace sustainability into their homes, here are some ways to make homes energy efficient:
Try daylighting as an alternative: Daylighting is a way in which natural light can be used to illuminate the home’s interior. This helps in saving energy that is usually used to brighten up living spaces. Most of the energy used in residential areas is mainly due to the need for cool living spaces. Designing homes in a way where there is plenty cross ventilation and windows help in reducing the usage of electronic devices for cooling. If used correctly, it is key to avoiding leakages of electricity since the lesser devices used, the simpler it is to manage energy. One can also go for clerestory windows which are short, wide windows set high on the wall that protect from the summer sun and allow winter sun to come through for natural lighting, warmth and comfort.
Install energy efficient appliances: A full-fledged summer season is upon us where humidity along with hot air causes everyone to use multiple cooling devices wherever they are. These are the times where cooling devices like fans etc. are always switched on in almost every room of the house 24/7 causing tremendous use of energy. Typically, in Indian households the most common type of cooling device used is a ceiling fan. This is a great opportunity to make homes energy efficient by switching from normal ceiling fans to energy saving fans as they can contribute to more than 25% of the overall electricity bills. Nowadays, there are BLDC ceiling fans which not only provide superior cooling experience but also help in saving 50% more energy than a conventional fan. Thus, they not only increase power savings and help save precious energy but also lead to cutting your electric bills in half which helps in maximizing electricity cost savings.
Cook smart: An enormous amount of energy is wasted while cooking. To reduce this energy consumption, one can attempt a simple yet energy-efficient way of eating food when freshly prepared and avoiding reheating of food to save energy. Matching a utensil’s size to the flame can help in limiting wastage of energy that goes unused when the flame is bigger than the utensil; using lids on pots and pans helps heat food more quickly than cooking in uncovered pots and pans since steam causes thorough cooling of food.
Seal and insulate your living spaces: If your homes are sealed properly it makes for one of the most affordable ways to achieve comfort and energy-efficiency, and one can even do it themselves if they choose to. Try communicating with an energy auditor – someone who assesses leakages of energy in the building or individual houses by checking the pathways of electricity from the local electric board to one’s home. They ensure to envelope and recommend fixes that will dramatically decrease energy consumption up to 5-30% and help achieve monetary savings too.
It’s not rocket science; just negligence of common man. Recycle Items such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminum cans can easily be recycled. Dispose of them correctly in the recycle bins. You can even have your own recycle bin at home and sensitize your family/society on correct disposal. Boycott pRead more
It’s not rocket science; just negligence of common man.
Recycle
Items such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminum cans can easily be recycled. Dispose of them correctly in the recycle bins. You can even have your own recycle bin at home and sensitize your family/society on correct disposal.
Boycott plastic bags
When you go shopping, make use of a reusable bag as opposed to plastic bags. In the UK, over 10 million plastic bags are made annually. Plastic is one of the materials that take thousands of years to decompose so using reusable bags would have a significant impact on the environment.
Composting
You should dispose of organic materials from your kitchen in your garden. Decomposing organic remains can be used as fertilizer instead of being sent to the landfills.
Use rechargeable batteries
Rechargeable batteries are not only cheap but can be used hundreds of times over. Disposable batteries have corrosive chemicals that are toxic to the environment.
Reduce junk mail
You can opt not to receive unwanted mail by contacting the relevant authorities available in your area. This will reduce unnecessary disposal of papers.
Sensitize on benefits of reducing waste
Let others know about ways to reduce waste. You could even participate in pro-recycling talks. Collective effort can make a world of difference.
Food Management
You can reduce the amount of food you throw away by doing the following:
-Food that is left over should not be immediately disposed of. You can combine it with the next meal which may turn out to be an excellent side dish.
-Before shopping, check what you have stored so that you can avoid buying unnecessary food.
-Check for expiration dates on your foods and consume those with a shorter shelf life to avoid disposing of them when they go bad.
-Use measuring equipment when cooking to avoid cooking more food than is necessary.
-Invest in storage containers for refrigeration to keep foods fresher for longer.
The global water crisis has many causes, requiring many different solutions. Drinkable Book is one of the solutions. It’s the first ever manual that provides safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education — all in one! A group of researchers from the US, in collaboration with a non-profit organizatioRead more
The global water crisis has many causes, requiring many different solutions. Drinkable Book is one of the solutions.
It’s the first ever manual that provides safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education — all in one!
A group of researchers from the US, in collaboration with a non-profit organization, has designed a book with silver-impregnated pages that can be used to filter contaminated water. One page from this ‘drinkable book’ can potentially filter up to 100 liters of drinking water and may provide a cheap, sustainable solution for communities suffering from severe sanitation problems.
Each page of the book provides basic water and sanitation advice, such as the importance of keeping contaminants like rubbish and feces away from water, often unknown in developing countries.
Eight million tones of plastic end up in our oceans every year, killing and harming marine life. Being a marine life lover, I bring few not so difficult measures that can help us in reducing plastic waste: Carry a reusable coffee cup or flask. Around 2.5bn coffee cups are thrown away every year in tRead more
Eight million tones of plastic end up in our oceans every year, killing and harming marine life. Being a marine life lover, I bring few not so difficult measures that can help us in reducing plastic waste:
Carry a reusable coffee cup or flask. Around 2.5bn coffee cups are thrown away every year in the UK alone – that’s seven million a day! Less than 1% of these can be recycled, meaning most spend up to50 years in landfill, after lasting just minutes in your hand. Lots of coffee outlets offer a discount when you use your own cup and there are many eco-friendly options out there.
Plastic bottles are one of the most frequently found items on beach cleans globally. The lids commonly end up in seabirds’ stomachs.
By carrying a spork, reusing your plastic cutlery or going for a compostable alternative, you could personally save 466 items of unnecessary plastic every year. It’s thought that we use plastic cutlery for just 3 minutes before throwing it away!
Straws are sucking the life out of our oceans. But there is an easy fix to this one, if you don’t need one, don’t use one. Plastic straws and stirrers can take up to 200 years to decompose.
Use loose leaf tea with a tea strainer instead of teabags that are sealed with plastic. Or give plastic free tea Pukka Tea and Teapigs a go! Disposing of teabags ultimately leads to microplastics entering our waterways and eventually our food chain.
Chewing gum (made from plastic itself) can be swapped for plastic free alternatives.
Glitter is made from plastic of such a small size it’s especially lethal to our oceans. This microplastic can eventually end up in our food chain as plankton and shellfish can ingest it. But don’t worry, you can still sparkle guilt-free! There are many ranges of eco-friendly glitter out there.
Consider getting your milk delivered in glass bottles which are reused and recycled instead of your usual plastic pint. Many milk rounds also offer fruit juices too.
What’s more satisfying, popping a cork or the modern screw top? Choose wine bottles with natural cork stoppers instead of plastic stoppers or metal screw caps. Together, we can help to put an end to this plastic surge by cutting out small, everyday plastic use.
Fertilizers enrich your soil with nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; the three primary nutrients necessary for plant growth. Chemical or synthetic fertilizers are manufactured using man-made materials. There are several alternatives to chemical fertilizers available at most garden centers and greeRead more
Fertilizers enrich your soil with nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; the three primary nutrients necessary for plant growth. Chemical or synthetic fertilizers are manufactured using man-made materials. There are several alternatives to chemical fertilizers available at most garden centers and greenhouses that use natural materials to enrich your soil.
Bone meal is made from the ground bones of animals, and is a byproduct of the meat processing industry. It an excellent source of phosphorous and calcium, that is ideal for fertilizing bulbs and trees and shrubs in soils with a pH below 7.0.
Cottonseed meal is slightly acidic, typically containing a nitrogen-to-phosphorous-to-potassium (NPK) of 7-3-2. The nutrients in it are readily available to plants in warm soils, without the risk of nitrogen burn that is commonly associated with chemical fertilizers.
Bat guano, or bat feces, is available from most garden centers as a powder fertilizer that is either formulated as high phosphorous, with a NPK ratio of 3-10-1, or high nitrogen, containing a NPK ratio of 10-3-1.
Fish emulsion fertilizers are made up of partially decomposed and pulverized fish, and contain NPK ratios of 5-2-2. Fish emulsions have an unpleasant odor initially, but this will fade over time.
Composted manure is a complete fertilizer, but its NPK ratio depends on the animal source. The rate tends to be higher in fresh manures, but these should not be applied to plant roots. Regular additions of organic materials such as animal manures and crop residues are of utmost importance in maintaining the tilth, fertility and productivity of agricultural soils, protecting them from wind and water erosion, and preventing nutrient losses through runoff and leaching. These materials have predictable beneficial effects on soil physical properties such as increased water-holding capacity, soil aggregation, soil aeration and permeability, and decreased soil crusting and bulk density.
How can we make our home energy efficient?
Parul
If one wants to embrace sustainability into their homes, here are some ways to make homes energy efficient: Try daylighting as an alternative: Daylighting is a way in which natural light can be used to illuminate the home’s interior. This helps in saving energy that is usually used to brighten up liRead more
If one wants to embrace sustainability into their homes, here are some ways to make homes energy efficient:
Try daylighting as an alternative: Daylighting is a way in which natural light can be used to illuminate the home’s interior. This helps in saving energy that is usually used to brighten up living spaces. Most of the energy used in residential areas is mainly due to the need for cool living spaces. Designing homes in a way where there is plenty cross ventilation and windows help in reducing the usage of electronic devices for cooling. If used correctly, it is key to avoiding leakages of electricity since the lesser devices used, the simpler it is to manage energy. One can also go for clerestory windows which are short, wide windows set high on the wall that protect from the summer sun and allow winter sun to come through for natural lighting, warmth and comfort.
Install energy efficient appliances: A full-fledged summer season is upon us where humidity along with hot air causes everyone to use multiple cooling devices wherever they are. These are the times where cooling devices like fans etc. are always switched on in almost every room of the house 24/7 causing tremendous use of energy. Typically, in Indian households the most common type of cooling device used is a ceiling fan. This is a great opportunity to make homes energy efficient by switching from normal ceiling fans to energy saving fans as they can contribute to more than 25% of the overall electricity bills. Nowadays, there are BLDC ceiling fans which not only provide superior cooling experience but also help in saving 50% more energy than a conventional fan. Thus, they not only increase power savings and help save precious energy but also lead to cutting your electric bills in half which helps in maximizing electricity cost savings.
Cook smart: An enormous amount of energy is wasted while cooking. To reduce this energy consumption, one can attempt a simple yet energy-efficient way of eating food when freshly prepared and avoiding reheating of food to save energy. Matching a utensil’s size to the flame can help in limiting wastage of energy that goes unused when the flame is bigger than the utensil; using lids on pots and pans helps heat food more quickly than cooking in uncovered pots and pans since steam causes thorough cooling of food.
Seal and insulate your living spaces: If your homes are sealed properly it makes for one of the most affordable ways to achieve comfort and energy-efficiency, and one can even do it themselves if they choose to. Try communicating with an energy auditor – someone who assesses leakages of energy in the building or individual houses by checking the pathways of electricity from the local electric board to one’s home. They ensure to envelope and recommend fixes that will dramatically decrease energy consumption up to 5-30% and help achieve monetary savings too.
See lessHow can we avoid sending waste to landfills?
Parul
It’s not rocket science; just negligence of common man. Recycle Items such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminum cans can easily be recycled. Dispose of them correctly in the recycle bins. You can even have your own recycle bin at home and sensitize your family/society on correct disposal. Boycott pRead more
It’s not rocket science; just negligence of common man.
Recycle
Items such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminum cans can easily be recycled. Dispose of them correctly in the recycle bins. You can even have your own recycle bin at home and sensitize your family/society on correct disposal.
Boycott plastic bags
When you go shopping, make use of a reusable bag as opposed to plastic bags. In the UK, over 10 million plastic bags are made annually. Plastic is one of the materials that take thousands of years to decompose so using reusable bags would have a significant impact on the environment.
Composting
You should dispose of organic materials from your kitchen in your garden. Decomposing organic remains can be used as fertilizer instead of being sent to the landfills.
Use rechargeable batteries
Rechargeable batteries are not only cheap but can be used hundreds of times over. Disposable batteries have corrosive chemicals that are toxic to the environment.
Reduce junk mail
You can opt not to receive unwanted mail by contacting the relevant authorities available in your area. This will reduce unnecessary disposal of papers.
Sensitize on benefits of reducing waste
Let others know about ways to reduce waste. You could even participate in pro-recycling talks. Collective effort can make a world of difference.
Food Management
You can reduce the amount of food you throw away by doing the following:
-Food that is left over should not be immediately disposed of. You can combine it with the next meal which may turn out to be an excellent side dish.
-Before shopping, check what you have stored so that you can avoid buying unnecessary food.
-Check for expiration dates on your foods and consume those with a shorter shelf life to avoid disposing of them when they go bad.
-Use measuring equipment when cooking to avoid cooking more food than is necessary.
-Invest in storage containers for refrigeration to keep foods fresher for longer.
Check out this interesting video, with great insights on how the world needs our left over food: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyQzUBLK0bo
See lessAccording to Unicef every fifth child faces water scarcity globally. How can we solve this potable water crisis?
Parul
The global water crisis has many causes, requiring many different solutions. Drinkable Book is one of the solutions. It’s the first ever manual that provides safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education — all in one! A group of researchers from the US, in collaboration with a non-profit organizatioRead more
The global water crisis has many causes, requiring many different solutions. Drinkable Book is one of the solutions.
It’s the first ever manual that provides safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education — all in one!
A group of researchers from the US, in collaboration with a non-profit organization, has designed a book with silver-impregnated pages that can be used to filter contaminated water. One page from this ‘drinkable book’ can potentially filter up to 100 liters of drinking water and may provide a cheap, sustainable solution for communities suffering from severe sanitation problems.
Each page of the book provides basic water and sanitation advice, such as the importance of keeping contaminants like rubbish and feces away from water, often unknown in developing countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYTif9F188E
Articles: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/drinkable-book-quenches-thirst-for-water-purification-solution/8861.article
https://waterislife.com/impact/clean-water
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/feb/13/global-water-crisis-innovation-solution
See lessHow can we prevent plastic waste from disrupting the ecosystem and create an ecological consciousness against plastic?
Parul
Eight million tones of plastic end up in our oceans every year, killing and harming marine life. Being a marine life lover, I bring few not so difficult measures that can help us in reducing plastic waste: Carry a reusable coffee cup or flask. Around 2.5bn coffee cups are thrown away every year in tRead more
Eight million tones of plastic end up in our oceans every year, killing and harming marine life. Being a marine life lover, I bring few not so difficult measures that can help us in reducing plastic waste:
- Carry a reusable coffee cup or flask. Around 2.5bn coffee cups are thrown away every year in the UK alone – that’s seven million a day! Less than 1% of these can be recycled, meaning most spend up to 50 years in landfill, after lasting just minutes in your hand. Lots of coffee outlets offer a discount when you use your own cup and there are many eco-friendly options out there.
- Plastic bottles are one of the most frequently found items on beach cleans globally. The lids commonly end up in seabirds’ stomachs.
- By carrying a spork, reusing your plastic cutlery or going for a compostable alternative, you could personally save 466 items of unnecessary plastic every year. It’s thought that we use plastic cutlery for just 3 minutes before throwing it away!
- Straws are sucking the life out of our oceans. But there is an easy fix to this one, if you don’t need one, don’t use one. Plastic straws and stirrers can take up to 200 years to decompose.
- Use loose leaf tea with a tea strainer instead of teabags that are sealed with plastic. Or give plastic free tea Pukka Tea and Teapigs a go! Disposing of teabags ultimately leads to microplastics entering our waterways and eventually our food chain.
- Chewing gum (made from plastic itself) can be swapped for plastic free alternatives.
- Glitter is made from plastic of such a small size it’s especially lethal to our oceans. This microplastic can eventually end up in our food chain as plankton and shellfish can ingest it. But don’t worry, you can still sparkle guilt-free! There are many ranges of eco-friendly glitter out there.
- Consider getting your milk delivered in glass bottles which are reused and recycled instead of your usual plastic pint. Many milk rounds also offer fruit juices too.
- What’s more satisfying, popping a cork or the modern screw top? Choose wine bottles with natural cork stoppers instead of plastic stoppers or metal screw caps. Together, we can help to put an end to this plastic surge by cutting out small, everyday plastic use.
See lessHow can Farmers reduce their dependence on inorganic fertilizers, firewood or fossil fuels and focus on clean energy in order to boost their agriculture production and food security?
Parul
Fertilizers enrich your soil with nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; the three primary nutrients necessary for plant growth. Chemical or synthetic fertilizers are manufactured using man-made materials. There are several alternatives to chemical fertilizers available at most garden centers and greeRead more
Fertilizers enrich your soil with nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; the three primary nutrients necessary for plant growth. Chemical or synthetic fertilizers are manufactured using man-made materials. There are several alternatives to chemical fertilizers available at most garden centers and greenhouses that use natural materials to enrich your soil.
- Bone meal is made from the ground bones of animals, and is a byproduct of the meat processing industry. It an excellent source of phosphorous and calcium, that is ideal for fertilizing bulbs and trees and shrubs in soils with a pH below 7.0.
- Cottonseed meal is slightly acidic, typically containing a nitrogen-to-phosphorous-to-potassium (NPK) of 7-3-2. The nutrients in it are readily available to plants in warm soils, without the risk of nitrogen burn that is commonly associated with chemical fertilizers.
- Bat guano, or bat feces, is available from most garden centers as a powder fertilizer that is either formulated as high phosphorous, with a NPK ratio of 3-10-1, or high nitrogen, containing a NPK ratio of 10-3-1.
- Fish emulsion fertilizers are made up of partially decomposed and pulverized fish, and contain NPK ratios of 5-2-2. Fish emulsions have an unpleasant odor initially, but this will fade over time.
- Composted manure is a complete fertilizer, but its NPK ratio depends on the animal source. The rate tends to be higher in fresh manures, but these should not be applied to plant roots. Regular additions of organic materials such as animal manures and crop residues are of utmost importance in maintaining the tilth, fertility and productivity of agricultural soils, protecting them from wind and water erosion, and preventing nutrient losses through runoff and leaching. These materials have predictable beneficial effects on soil physical properties such as increased water-holding capacity, soil aggregation, soil aeration and permeability, and decreased soil crusting and bulk density.
See less