Going green around the home For a country that’s building the world’s first and only zero carbon city (we speak of Masdar City –currently under construction) it’s unfortunate that UAE residents aren’t the greenest. Let’s take our water consumption, for example. The UAE wastes 250 litres of water per day. We’re talking about a desert region, the inhabitants of which, once upon a time, lived harmoniously with the harsh natural terrain through conservation, resilience and wisdom. And now, we are right alongside the United States in the top ten list of countries that produce the most carbon emissions.
Our government is taking steps towards reducing our carbon footprint, but this requires cooperation from the likes of you and us. This is how we do it:
In the bathroom
President Hugo Chavez told his Venezuelan countrymen to stop singing in the shower for a good reason. Our careless and distracted bathroom habits waste water and energy, and you can make a huge difference by making a few simple changes.
• It’s a cliché but we have to bring it up: don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth or shave. We promise it’ll still be there when you turn the tap on, as and when you need it.
• Approach the shower with a similar mindset: does all that water really need to be cascading from your showerhead as you lather yourself or shampoo your hair? No.
• If your bathroom has a window, open it instead of turning on the fan.
Around the house
‘Turn it off’ is the key phrase which will pretty much sum up what you need to do when it comes to electrical appliances around the house. Let us count the ways:
• Are you vacating a room? Turn off the lights.
• Don’t leave your computer/laptop to hibernate when you’re not using it. Just switch it off.
• Home appliances can be energy vampires, quietly sucking electricity even when they’re turned off. The solution to this is to turn off the power outlet switch or unplug the appliance.
• Light bulbs are another energy vampire, but the fix is easy – when your bulbs blow, replace them with energy saving ones, they last much longer and use far less energy than regular bulbs.
• Don’t set your phone to charge all night. Research shows that your phone only requires five per cent of the energy used up during overnight charging. That’s 95 per cent gone to waste.
• And finally the air conditioner; Now is the time of year when it’s cool enough to get by without turning it on. If the room’s gotten stuffy just open the window. Open a few around the house to create a draft if you like. And when the weather does get warmer and you simply can’t do without, follow these two simple steps:
Step 1) Turn it off when you’re leaving the house. We know it feels nice stepping into the cool when you get in, but isn’t this a luxury you can do without?
Step 2) Turn the thermostat up a few degrees. You are not a polar bear. You don’t need an arctic climate to survive. But the polar bears do, and our wastage is costing them their homes.
In the kitchen
The kitchen is a hub of energy wastage. The good news is you can continue to feed your family, without needlessly over-feeding your carbon footprint. Here’s how:
• Tea? How do you make yours? Filling your kettle only with as much water as you will need (one mug worth for one person, two mugs worth for two etc.) will not only save water and energy, it’ll save you time waiting for your water to boil.
• Now let’s consider the fridge. If you take care of it so it’s working efficiently, it’ll save you money on your electricity bill. Make sure you set it at a reasonable temperature, and try to defrost your freezer regularly, because frost build-up increases the amount of energy your fridge needs to keep its motor running.
• When it comes to clearing up after a meal, there are two options. Option one involves your dishwasher. If you have one, don’t run it until it’s completely full. Option two is for those that hand-wash their dishes. Fill the sink up with hot water and soap to minimise wastage and wash your dishes in it. Then only run the tap when you’re rinsing them.
• Much of what we buy gets wasted before we have a chance to cook and eat it. Not only is over-buying a waste of food and money, all of the refuse goes to landfills. Buy only what you need, a shopping list helps and save your leftovers in washable, reusable containers rather than disposable ones that would just go right to that landfill again. If you live in a villa, compostable scraps (vegetable matter, no meat or dairy) can help fertilise your garden.
• Finally, much of the packaging we simply throw away can be reused or recycled. The Center of Waste Management–Abu Dhabi can help.
For more tips and information visit the Environmental Agency–Abu Dhabi www.ead.ae or the Center of Waste Management www.cwm.ae
