15 tips for combatting climate change in your own home

At the beginning of the 20^th century, the Scottish activist Patrick Geddes left for posterity the famous phrase “Think global, act local”.

To mark the creation of the project One million commitments to climate which has been undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, ECODES, the Biodiversity Foundation and the Spanish Office for Climate Change (OECC), in today’s post we would like to give you a few tips so that with small-scale actions we can all combat climate change (locally).

Read, take action, and tell us about it!

Energy commitments

• Cook with pan lids on, and you will save up to 25% more energy.
• Turn off those lights you do not need, and by doing so you will not only reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) but also save up to 150 Euros a year. And if you use LED lighting, in comparison with incandescent lightbulbs, you will save up to 90% in electrical energy.
• Clean lamps and lightshades, and thereby increase illumination without the need to turn on more lights.

Water commitments

• Take showers instead of baths, and you will use five times less water and your bills will reflect this.
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, thereby saving approximately 550,000 litres of water over your lifetime.
• Use the economy wash programme on your dishwasher, do a complete load and you will use nine times less water than if you washed up by hand.

Mobility commitments

• Choose public transport instead of the car, it is much more efficient.
• If possible, travel by train instead of by plane. According to One million for climate figures, trains consume approximately 10 times less than planes.
• Drive efficiently, and you will make fuel and CO2 emissions savings of 15%. For example, starting up the engine without pressing the accelerator.

Product consumption commitments

• Consume products that are local and in season, being of high quality, making savings on transportation and supporting local business.
• Consume products with a zero carbon footprint, and which demonstrate that their processes of manufacture, production, transportation and management are all working to help reduce their associated CO2 emissions.
• If you are thinking of buying or renting a house, check that it has a high energy rating, which will mean that you will be able to record up to 75% less in CO2 emissions.

Waste and recycling commitments

• Separate and recycle packaging materials, and you will help to enable energy reductions in the extraction, transportation and formulation of new raw materials.
• Separate and recycle paper and cardboard, with everything that is collected up to 71% of the paper we use is recycled.
• Avoid the use of plastic bags, keep a reusable one to hand.

Get better informed regarding the public’s commitment on the project website of One million commitments to combat climate change.