Green Living Ideas
EnergyDo & Don'ts for Green LivingGreen Living GlossaryGreen Living: Combining ErrandsGreen Living with Computers: How to Save EnergyChoosing, Reusing, and Recycling Batteries
Setting up a Compost Pile"For Here"- Reduce Waste at the Coffee Shop or RestaurantBe Eco-friendly at the Grocery StoreThe Benefits of Composting and Which Materials to UseBeing Eco-Friendly with Coffee
Tips for Keeping Warm without Turning Up the Heat
Heat is one of the biggest energy wasters in the home. Conserving heat and resisting the urge to turn the heat up are therefore prime green living goals. As such, here are a few tips to help you stay warm in the colder months while continuing to support green living.
- Wearing appropriate clothing helps you brave the cold and practice green living. Choose long pants, long sleeves, and dress in layers. Don't forget to keep something (socks, slippers, shoes) on your feet. And if you really want to stay warm and practice green living, wear a hat. Your mother always used to say that heat is lost through your head, and it turns out she was right!
- For greater green living, make sure your house and windows are well insulated. If your windows are really drafty and you're not ready to replace them, try buying plastic insulation designed to put over your windows for better winter insulation.
- Close the shades or curtains to keep the heat in. This will add even better insulation against the cold outside, wasting less heat in support of green living. Of course, you may want to let in some sunlight during the day or risk going stir-crazy!
- Cook or bake hot food! Eating hot food, and even more turning on the oven in the first place, will make you warmer. Why not sit in the kitchen and read while you're cooking? Of course, for green living you should not turn the oven on just for heat which is not at all efficient. If you're planning to cook dinner anyway though, why not revel in the heat?
- Hydrate your body with herbal tea instead of ice water. Practice green living by staying warm from the inside out.
- Close the door quickly when going in or out of the house. Keep that heat where it belongs, furthering green living.
- Be active. Dance around or use the stair stepper to get your heart rate and metabolism going. Let your own body contribute more heat.
- Get up close and personal. For a fun means toward green living, grab your spouse, significant other, kids, best friend, or pet and curl up together on the couch under a blanket. What better way is there to stay warm?
- Close the doors to any rooms you are not using, and close the vents which deliver heat to those rooms, to support green living. Of course, be careful not to allow stored food, beauty products, or pipes to get too cold.
