Earth Hour 2015, which is organized by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), calls on people to turn off all non-essential lights in their home for – you guessed it – a single hour.
Earth Hour 2015 falls on March 28, between 8:30 and 9:30 (local time). If enough people conserve their electricity during the appointed time, cities will likely see a significant drop in energy consumption. While this effect is admirable, it is not the end all, be all point of Earth Hour 2015.
The goal of Earth Hour 2015 is awareness. WWF wants people to realize that the daily choices we make as individuals affect our communities, our cities, our countries, and yes, even the entire planet. By adopting more sustainable lifestyle choices, we can, quite literally, change the world.
With this goal in mind, we here at ZipMatch would like to recommend easy, actionable steps you can take to become a better caretaker and steward of the planet beyond Earth Hour 2015. There is also a practical incentive to practicing these steps.
Earth Hour 2015 Tips for the Future
1. Avoid phantom current.
This is the electricity that may flow to your devices and appliances even if they are not turned on or in use (standby mode). While it’s tempting to leave commonly used electronics plugged into their sockets, such as electric fans or microwaves, it’s best advised not to. Unplugging your electronics from the socket will prevent phantom current.
2. Use dual flush toilets.
Okay, I’ll spell it out for you: Low water for ihi, more water for dumi. If you don’t have dual flush toilets installed in your bathrooms now, there may be a high upfront cost to switching to them. You will, however, save in the long run. Dual flush toilets help you minimize the waste of water by allowing you to determine how much you really need to flush something down the drain.
3. Use cold water when showering.
Showering in cold water may initially be a shock – who doesn’t reel back from that first blast of cold water? But your body CAN get accustomed to it. Heating water consumes electricity, while cold water does not.
4. Go paperless.
Many offices boast about the fact that they have largely gone paperless. You can try to achieve this goal in your home as well. Even simple strides toward this goal with a long way, such as canceling your subscription to a newspaper and opting to read its digital counterpart instead.
5. Recycle bottles.
Most Filipino households, sadly enough, do not separate their recyclables (nabubulok) from their trash (hindi nabubulok), even if there’s a financial incentive to do so. For instance, for every glass bottle (read: San Miguel Light) you turn in, you are eligible to receive a small remuneration. And all it takes to gathering your recyclables is having a different container for them. C’mon people, stop being so lazy.
You also don’t need to necessarily throw bottles away:
6. Reuse your plastic and paper bags.
Many cities have banned the use of plastic or paper bags, but are still being used sparingly in some localities. When you do receive a bag for something, you should store it. You can then reuse these for your kitchen, so your kasambahay will look so soshal with her branded bags when taking out your filthy trash.
Just be careful not to run into any misunderstandings:
7. Bring your own bag.
Along similar lines, you should bring your own bag (BYOB) when doing any kind of shopping. That way, you can use your own canvas bag rather than the plastic or paper bags. On the plus side, if you’re single, your environmental consciousness can attract a relative rarity in our country: the Filipino hipster.
What tips did we miss out on in commemorating Earth Hour 2015? Share your tips in honor of Earth Hour 2015 in our comment section below.
