Floods in Sudan, more frequent and intense hurricanes in the Atlantic, and the fast spreading wildfires on the west coast of the USA are some signs of a changing climate. While the world isn't going to end soon, the gradually changing climate exposes us to hotter temperatures (think heat stroke and floods), contaminated water, and fresh food scarcity. It may take a while for these things to kick in, but every choice we're making today--you and I--is contributing to the energy consumption that's fuelling climate change.

From how many hours you put on your TV to the kind of clothes in your wardrobe, your seemingly innocent choices affect carbon emissions, ultimately impacting climate change. Earth is our home. It’s all we’ve got. So if you're like us looking out for the planet, we discuss easy ways you can save energy around your home and get on a low-carbon diet.

But wait…

How Does Energy Use Contribute to Climate Change?

Consider this:

• Burning of fossil fuels for energy, transportation, etc. is by far the biggest source (75%) of global greenhouse gas emissions – those gases that trap the heat on the earth’s atmosphere.
• Within the energy sector, generation of heat and electricity is responsible for most emissions (35% of global greenhouse emissions).

We have to not just slash the current emissions by half in the next 10 years; rather we have to capture greenhouse gases to get to net-zero by 2050 in order to limit the climate temperature increase to 1.5 degree Celsius (2.7 degree Fahrenheit), and still provide every human being with electricity, water, food – the minimum social foundation for all.

This is a crisis that requires every one of us to reconsider our consumption patterns. Plus, every energy saved is a plus to your monthly utility budget.

Now that you understand how big of a decision saving energy is…

Here are 9 tips to help you save energy around your home. (With great thanks to our friend Susan).

9 Tips to Save Energy At Home

1. Turn Down the Heat in the Kitchen 

Keep preheating to a minimum or skip it altogether. Except for breads and pastries, it’s not necessary for most foods. For roasts and casseroles, you even can turn off the oven about 15 minutes early. Leave the door closed and the heat already in the oven will finish the cooking.

Minimize peeking in an open oven door to keep the heat up throughout cooking. On the stove top, once a pot of hot water boils you can turn down the heat a bit. It’ll be the same temperature at a light boil or a roaring one.

And preparation is the number one energy saver - defrost in the fridge before cooking. Chop, season, or trim before turning on appliances to save energy (and avoid burning stuff while you're distracted by prep for the next step). Make larger portions and fridge or freeze the extra - saving you time and using a lot less energy to reheat rather than cook all over again!

2: Turn Off What’s Not in Use

In the US, energy seems so easy and inexpensive it leads to certain carelessness in use. But everything adds up with time. Turn off what you are not using, including those vampire monitors that suck energy even when in sleep mode!

It is no longer true that turning things on and off wear them out sooner. In general, turning things off gives them a break that helps them last longer. Use power strips to make it easier to turn off multiple appliances at once when leaving a room or the house. Surge protection on a power strip will also help protect your appliances. (Just don’t overload circuits.)

3. Wash Clothes Less Often

Unless it’s visibly dirty or smells like a gym locker, that jeans can probably be worn 5 more times. Washing clothes too often wears them out faster and uses a ton of energy—especially if you're tossing into the washing machine at every turn. Make the most of every cycle: wash only when the hamper’s full, switch to cold water, and skip the dryer when you can.

If you’re looking to save energy at home, it’s worth knowing how often to wash your clothes so you don’t waste energy on laundry.

4. Manage the heat load of your place

Heating and cooling make up nearly half the average U.S. home’s utility bills. Program your thermostat to lower the heat while you are out and while you sleep. Plug leaks around windows. If you live in warmer climates or during summer, use window curtains to manage the heat of the sun and arrange furniture to take advantage of free sun or shade.

5. Switch to Longer Lasting and More Efficient LED bulbs.

Efficient home appliances help you save energy, save money and reduce emissions long term. Seek out Energy Star models when buying a new appliance so you can save energy at the push of a button. If your equipment has power management features, activate them!

6. Clean up the Cloud 

Energy is needed to both power and cool the servers of whatever ‘cloud’ or organizational data center that is holding and serving up those pictures, old grad papers, or cat videos you’ve saved for years. Data centers consume between 3 and 5 % of the world’s energy annually, and that energy causes carbon emissions that now are on par with the emissions from all air travel annually.

Yes, IT efficiency is improving and many data centers are moving toward renewable energy, but we've a long way to go. So, do your part to lessen the load by saving the final copy and not the 15 drafts before it. Clean out sneaky storage spots that use up space on your laptop... like your download file!

7. Mind What’s in Your Wardrobe

Before you click “buy now” on that $4 polyester top, pause. Fast fashion churns out mountains of cheaply made clothes using huge amounts of water, synthetic fibers, and—you guessed it—energy. Most of it ends up in landfills anyway.

So, shop less, choose sustainable clothing, and take care of the clothes you already have. Natural fibers like cotton and linen do not consume as much energy to produce (they’re plants, of course), they grow and age beautifully, and they biodegrade, eliminating the issue of landfills and carbon emissions from burning fabrics. If you’re into handmade or artisan pieces, even better—go for block print clothing that  comes from slower, more sustainable production methods.

8. Ditch Paper Towels for Reusable Cotton

Every time you reach for a paper towel, think of the energy used to produce it—from tree to packaging to shipping. The more paper towels you use, the more demand you create, leading to more production and energy consumption.

Swapping paper towels for reusable cloth napkins is a simple shift that saves energy, reduce your carbon footprint, and keeps trash out of landfills. Why? Cloth napkins can be used for years! They help you save money. Bonus? They look way cuter on your dining table. Ichcha’s cotton napkins, for example, are block printed by hand and made to last—plus they bring a little art into everyday life.

9. Buy Locally Grown Food

Storing food for months consumes energy. So, buy In-season foods to reduce the carbon footprint of your meals. Also, locally grown food reduces the amount of fossil fuel burnt to transport the food to you. Check for a local CSA (community supported agriculture), or try out one of the “ugly produce” delivery services.

If the environment impact of fast fashion gives you the ick, switching to sustainable block print clothing will definitely make sense to you. So consider making the switch—not just for the energy use but a step towards a cleaner, more socially responsible lifestyle.