Every April, we celebrate Earth Day and make efforts to save energy. Now that April is over, how can Californians consistently “go green” and help the environment?
People want to change, but struggle committing to major lifestyle changes.
Actor and activist Ian Somerhalder shares that we can still save energy without making major lifestyle changes.
The hashtag #doyourownthing sends a simple message: Californians are able to save energy, without making huge changes to their lifestyle, and can still do their own thing.
His first tip is to wash clothes with cold water.
“90% of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating the water. People think that hot water cleans their clothes better, but it really doesn’t.”
Ian Somerhalder
Other tips include:
- Running major appliances during off-peak hours.
- Unplugging appliances you aren’t using.
- Switching to LED light bulbs.
It all goes back to the hashtag – #betteroff – Once we start to unplug, it’s better off for climate change but it’s also better off for you.
“Those are a few things you can do that aren’t huge behavioral patterns, they’re small ones, but when we do them all together, we make huge strides in saving energy and cutting down on pollution and carbon emissions.”
– Ian Somerhalder, Actor and Activist
When taken together, tiny steps can lead to big changes.
For more ideas, visit energyupgradeca.org.