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No excuse for not going “green”
Oct. , 2007excuses why consumers aren’t greener
Many consumers talk a good game about going green but they stop short of taking action. Why exactly? Is it the cost or maybe it’s something else? According to http://www.bankrate.com, here are the five main excuses consumers give for not going green.First, it’s too expensive. Some consumers think going green means installing $20,000-$40,000 solar panels, but that’s not the case. For example, we’ve talked about compact fluorescent light bulbs before as a way to save on your electric bill. They cost $2-$3 upfront but last 10 times longer than standard bulbs. Turning your thermostat a degree lower for heat and a degree higher for air conditioning can save around $100 a year as well.
Excuse #2: My individual effort won’t make a difference. Bankrate.com says in 2006 Americans saved $14 billion off their energy bills– enough energy to avoid the equivalent emissions of 25 million cars. Does that sound like a difference to you?
Excuse #3: Going green doesn’t fit my lifestyle. That’s wrong too. You don’t need to live in the country to be eco-friendly. Using public transportation and even shopping at local farmer’s markets are ways city living can still help the environment.
Excuse #4: Green products don’t work as well. Maybe that was true when green products were first introduced in the 1970’s, but today many green products actually outperform their non-green counterparts. For example, Consumer Reports say front-loading washing machines save energy but clean better than standard, traditional washers.
The last excuse: I don’t know where to start. You may be a little “green” already and don’t know it. For instance, if you buy bulk items from places like Costco, you’re using less packaging which is a great place to start helping mother earth. Another small action you can take is with your home office. You probably have a power strip with many components (computer, monitor, printer, modem) plugged into it. Even when the components are turned off, the power strip is still draining electricity. If you turn the strip off when not using the computer, you can save 10% a year off your energy bill.
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