The long-term future of energy is out of our hands for now, but we do know that eventually, our traditional energy resources (barring electricity) will be at an end and we will have to strive to create new methods of powering our cars, houses and day-to-day lives.
Some people are already preparing for such a lifestyle and operate a self-sufficient way of life to ensure that they are adhering to what everyone might need to be in the future: sustainable.
There are so many ways to make your home and lifestyle sustainable; some are quite expensive at first, but pay off in the long-term, whereas others could even make you money. It’s not just about energy either, producing your own food, recycling items around the house and saving water are all parts of a self-sufficient life.
Creating your own harvest of food
Having the means to grown your own food not only enables you to be kind to the environment, but also allows you to save money and can lead to a healthier lifestyle knowing that the food you are growing is free of chemicals and is completely fresh.
The advantages to the environment from growing your own food include the reduction of packaging waste from your house, especially non-recyclable waste like thin plastics. There is also a reduced need for you to travel to get food, therefore you lessen your emissions if you drive a car.
Producing energy
A growing trend these days is houses incorporating solar panels for families to either produce their own electricity or just to heat their water. Harnessing the sun’s energy via solar panels can be up to 15 per cent more efficient than heating your water through your traditional gas or electric heating system.
Although the initial cost of solar panels is expensive, they pay off over time and save you money as you can effectively be off the grid if you are producing enough energy for your home. Wind power is slightly less expensive, but also perhaps less reliable too. You can use the wind by putting terminals on top of the house, or having a scaled down windmill in the garden.
Recycling furniture
Furniture is a necessary part of everyone’s life and also a potentially expensive one, but it doesn’t have to cost the earth over the long-term if you invest in quality furniture from the start, such as solid oak furniture.
The better the quality of the furniture, the longer it will last and lengthen the time between buying a new dining table and replacing it. However, when this moment comes, you don’t need to throw the furniture out onto the waste heap, instead look to recycle it in some way within your home and give it a new purpose. Another option is to restore it to a decent quality and maybe even good enough to use it over again, whether it’s oak furniture, French furniture or even mirrored furniture.
Managing your water use
If you consider how much water we all go through in just one day and then think about that just one per cent of all water on the planet is drinkable, it’s quite incredible and also worrying when you add up all the water we also waste.
In a sustainable home, water will be managed so that any wastage is used again and recycled through a system that will keep hold of water wasted during your morning face wash or after brushing your teeth.
About the author: Sam writes for furniture experts The Furniture Market, a place to get quality furniture including oak furniture, French style furniture and mirrored furniture.
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