Are You a No Net-Impact Family?

You love to save energy, right? Who doesn’t?

But what if you took your desire (obsession?) to another level beyond just your own home.

Because, after all, everything you own requires energy and some sort of environmental impact beyond your home, doesn’t it?

See, we’re getting at the “big picture.” That’s the hard part. Doing what’s good not just for yourself, but what affects everyone else too.

That’s a big time decision and commitment isn’t it? To work for the good of others also.

Here’s some examples of ways to save energy not just for yourself, but for the benefit of everyone else in the world also:

1. Using Your Bike or Public Transit When Possible

Okay. Okay. We get it. You can’t necessarily commit to using public transit or a bike all the time. It’s just not feasible.

But when you can, using one or both results in lower energy costs for you (reduced gas usage) and a far lower impact on the environment as a whole. That gas does not need to be harvested or refined.

This may be more possible in the future as self-driving cars become the standard. In metropolitan areas, not only will these cars be electric, but you’ll simply call a service to use them too.

2. Fix and Reuse what You Own

Everything you own, regardless of what it is, gets made somewhere. And it takes energy to produce it. That means the environment experiences at least some damage.

So rather than throwing it away, can you fix it? Or, can you learn how to fix it?

If you like to learn new things, this could be quite an interesting endeavor for you. And maybe, if you have a son or daughter interested in fixing stuff, this could be a time to develop a stronger bond over this interest together.

3. Avoid Aluminum Cans and Plastic

Yeah, neither of these are remarkable in either way. However, they consume an exorbitant amount of energy to produce and result in more than their fair share of pollution also.

Out of all these energy savings tips, this one’s the most selfless. You personally won’t benefit immediately or directly by avoiding aluminum cans and plastic.

However, at the big picture level, you’re saving the planet and overall economy a landslide of pollution and energy.

And when you do have to use aluminum cans or plastic, always make sure you recycle.

The Hardest Things to Do Are Actually the Most Rewarding

So yeah, every time you use your bike or avoid drinking from an aluminum can, you’re not going to see a 50-cent deposit in your bank account.

But, emotionally and psychologically you’ll reap all sorts of rewards from knowing you’ve done the right thing.

That’s a higher goal to aspire to, no doubt. But one worth striving for.