Chicago apartment dwellers often think there is very little they can do to help the green movement. This is simply not the case. There are plenty of ways to adopt green living practices that can help the environment while even sparing your wallet from unnecessary expenses.
Low Energy Bulb – Usually last 8,000 hours
While it’s true you can’t necessarily run out and replace things like windows, appliances and insulation in your Chicago apartment, you can:
- Replace incandescent bulbs with low-energy bulbs – These will cost you more on the front end, but they do last a great deal longer and require less energy to run. The overall cost savings can be rather enjoyable. This is an excellent way to adopt green living practices in a Chicago apartment and save replacement and energy costs along the way.
- Turn off lights when they are not in use – This is also an excellent way to adopt green living principles. There’s no reason to burn even energy-efficient bulbs and keep other appliances on when they aren’t really needed.
Adopt green living principles: Turn lights off
- Keep the thermostat controlled – Air conditioners do not really need to run colder than about 78 degrees in the summer and no warmer than 70 in the winter. Heaters, too, should be kept in this range or even a tad lower in the winter. Keeping a check on the thermostat can save you a bundle on energy costs and lower your carbon footprint, too.
- Recycle – Even if you do not have access to a recycling process, this green living maneuver is worth taking up on your own. Besides, some recyclable materials can add up to extra change in your pocket.
- Walk whenever possible or use public transportation – Chicago is an excellent city for commuting without a personal vehicle. Whenever possible, leave the car at home and seek out more energy efficient means of transportation. Your wallet and the environment both will thank you!
- Take your bicycle – Chicago is a great city for biking with lots of bike lanes that can take you pretty much anywhere in the metro area in minutes. Biking is as walking, great exercise and helps improve the quality of air you are breathing in.
- Drink filtered water from your fridge – or faucet so you do not consume plastic bottles transported from Europe and other places that is far and away.
- Tele-commute – Ask your manager if you can work from home in your great apartment, one day or more per week if you have a job that can be done from home.
- Get a more environmental car – By getting a Toyota Prius or other Hybrid car or just down-grade from your giant SUV that only gives you 12 miles/gallon to a regular sedan, you can reduce the impact you have on the environment, the air in your city as well as making your wallet happy.
- Eat tofu and beans instead of meat – It is a very simple step but it has a great impact on your energy foot-print. One pound of tofu only takes 10% of the energy as it takes to get one pound of meat. That is an energy reduction of about 90%. Conversely you get 10 pound of tofu for the same energy as one pound of beef/chicken/pork. Tofu is like un-cooked and un-marinated meat, rather tasteless and can with marinades and/or spices get the same taste as meat.
Green living is possible even in an apartment setting. When the right steps are taken, you can make a difference.
6 resources to learn more about “green living”
- Green Living Tips
- 11 earth saving ideas
- Duke’s Energy ideas
- Check out your carbon footprint
- Energy Efficiency
- A consumers guide to energy efficiency
- Energy Star. Guide to improve your homes energy efficiency
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