WHO KNEW There Are So Many Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Environmental Impact?

I’m not sure when, but a while ago I acquired a book called “1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet” by Esme Floyd, a British author whose interests include health and lifestyle choices. There really are 1,001 suggestions in her book! Number 1 is about making your own furniture polish. Number 1,001 is “Be a litter picker.” It seems like a small thing – picking up litter –but how many of us do this regularly?

Here’s one that really surprised me:

“152: Unplug Your Charger

"It takes a forest with an area equivalent to 500 football (soccer) pitches to absorb all the carbon dioxide produced by mobile (cell) phone chargers that are left plugged into electrical outlets. In the UK alone, 95% of the energy used by mobile phone chargers is wasted – only 5% is actually used to charge the phone and the rest goes to waste when the charger is left plugged in.” (Should I add, “Guilty as charged”?)

This book is not just fun; it’s encyclopedic. It’s like a 221-page “Who Knew?” about ways to save energy, grow a garden, shop for food, manage your workspace, reduce your trash, and make a difference to our planet every single day.

Stay tuned for additional tidbits from Floyd’s book in future “Who Knew?” columns. Or, better yet, get a copy of the book and help yourself and others find ways to care for the Earth, our home.