Ideas to reduce to the effects of Climate Change
Small things can make a big difference to climate change! Whether it is planting a tree or switching on fewer lights in the house or boiling a little less water. Whether big or small, it counts. It’s all about your mind-set. Take that step. Share with us your idea to help change the world and reverse the effects of global warming.
Do you have a brilliant small idea that will help reduce climate change and want to it share with us? Or maybe it’s a big idea? Simply fill in the required details below and tell us more about your bright idea.
lots of small ideas make big impact
Submitted by Karin – Wednesday, 25 May 2011
I think the everyday people like me are often discouraged because we really care for our planet, but we’re not sure how to make a difference and a lasting impact. I have taught my son that it’s the little things that are done repeatedly that make the biggest impact. When we wake up at 6h00 we switch our geyser off for at least 10 hours a day. Soon our geyser will be solar powered. When we boil the kettle we only fill it with the water we need for a cup or two. We switch lights off as soon as we leave the room. Soon we are changing to LED ligths throughout our home. We hope to run our lights off solar power in the near future. We have a compost heap to which we add all our kitchen organic waste. This compost goes into our organic garden from which we eat every day. Even our dog’s waste is recycled back into the soil in a corner of our garden. The huge Oak tree in our garden sheds about 100 bags of leaves in Autumn. We use half of those leaves to mulch our garden and as snails dislike oak leaves immensely they don’t eat our lettuce leaves. This very same oak tree keeps our home lovely and cool during the summer months and allows the sun through during winter. We recycle almost all our waste now and we work on getting the neighbours in our suburb to do the same. This also encourages us to buy produce that is not heavily packaged and of course we never pay for plastic bags in shops any longer, but use our own eco friendly bags. We harvest rain water to fill our swimming pool and soon we’ll use rain water to do our washing and flush our toilets. We try not to drive unnecessarily and we hope to soon have an electric car so as to reduce our carbon footprint further. We go to auctions and buy our furniture – amazing what one can find! There are a myriad of little things we do in our every day lives. They have become almost 2nd nature now, but I believe if every person is just aware of the things they can do in their homes and gardens we will go a long, long way to saving our planet. It takes a concerted effort to change one’s consumerist ways, but it can be done and it’s really important that our children learn this very early on.
iPhone usb wall adapter
Submitted by Marco – Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Hi there,
Everyone’s using my iPhone usb wall adapter to charge their phones. This is a small adapter and is compatible with any usb cable used by cellphones.
It cost much less to make and if left in the socket expels no energy, unlike normal cellphone chargers.
Voting to include only one cable, a usb cable, to function as both computer cable and charging cable could cut emmisions dramatically.
Other cellphone companies should invest in switching to this type of adapter.
I believe this will make a huge difference.
Thank you,
Marco Versfeld
Thank you
Local Prefabricated Architecture
Submitted by Steven Bakker – Saturday, 12 March 2011
Collaborate with gurus from Europe and the States and introduce sustainable prefabricated structures in South Africa – redesign for local conditions and manufacture locally with sustainable local resources. This method would be appropriate for both affordable housing and high end spaces. Benefits include job creation, waste reduction during the fabrication/installation process and an increase in awareness regarding the possibilities of sustainable living.
insulation
Submitted by Rolf Shenton – Wednesday, 09 March 2011
Most of the energy the industrialised societies use goes up into the atmosphere in the form of wasted heat. Having lived in Sweden and travelled around Europe for 4 years I have confirmed my hypothesis and believe this is the elephant in the room. Insulation, insulation, insulation!
GREEN HOUR
Submitted by kirstin – Monday, 28 February 2011
Make every Friday a green day, with a green hour where all people on the surface of the earth have to neglect technology and all objects that contribute to global warming for an hour and plant a tree (or any plant for that matter) or water plants during the green hour. This will reduce global warming and will preserve our natural resources as well as restore them by planting new plants or feeding the plants to reproduce.
Submitted by Lange – Friday, 28 January 2011
Go Green
Recycle Recycle Recycle
Submitted by Christian Faber – Wednesday, 26 January 2011
If each household had recycle bins for all those different items that dont really mix then these could be recycled and reused without having to exploit Mother Earth for new products. I am recycling at home and hopefully South Africa will grow-up to the idea a little faster.
Plate Off Cooking
Submitted by Schalk – Wednesday, 26 January 2011
With most nice pots and pans having a nice thick base that retains heat, I usually switch the plate off up to 5 minutes before the meal is cooked. The pot retains more than enough heat to cook the meal to the end.
Aero mods
Submitted by Schalk – Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Last year I started watching my petrol consumption and have increased my km/L from 10 to almost 13. Now I plan to do minor aero mods e.g. a partial grille block etc. to help with Cd to further increase my km/L.
SEEING GREEN
Submitted by Colin Carter – Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Green living is a concept that many of us are not really in tune with and it is relatively new to our lifestyles.
I have made a point of now using a green coloured keyring for all my keys.
Along with all the mad paced living in my life, I see and use this keyring every day, which then jolts me back to a very simple question… What am I going to do that is ‘GREEN’ today? Sometimes the actions are small and at other times its the slow build up to a long term plan.
My keyring is my daily reminder until Green Living becomes solidy entrenched as part of my life.
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