Alternative Energy HQ solar power for homes, wind energy, and bio fuel issues
Stop for a moment and consider what comes to mind when you think of a person who is living a sustainable, low-waste lifestyle. Create a real mental image of what this person looks like and how they might live their life.
The stereotypical person you might be thinking of is somewhat of a hippie; maybe even someone who shuns modern technology and welcomes more natural options instead. This person is someone who might appear to give up a lot of life’s luxuries even if it’s inconvenient. This person may be admirable, but they’re living a life you could never really pull off without making sacrifices.
It may come as somewhat of a surprise, but this isn’t necessarily the standard sustainable person anymore. Rather, many people who prioritize sustainability can easily do so thanks to a myriad of valuable modern technologies that already play a role in our lives. They can help us to be more environmentally conscious and attain our goals of sustainability. Although you may make some small changes to your lifestyle, many of them are minimal and will ultimately benefit you in more ways than one. They may help you to survive and thrive!
Sustainable Tech Upgrades
First of all, there are plenty of things about technology that aren’t that sustainable. For instance, certain technology is made without the consideration of social and environmental equity. Most of the time, this technology is made with components that create environmental damage through its mining, design, and development. But, like it or not, technology is a big part of our lives, and it has become outrageously difficult to live a life without it. Instead, it’s our responsibility to prioritize technologies that are both sustainable and responsible.
Fortunately, however, there is plenty of technology out there right now that can help reduce our energy usage at home. For instance, new tech like smart thermostats can help you control the temperature of your house from your smartphone, thereby saving you money and energy by not heating an empty home. Tech upgrades in lighting, plumbing, and insulation among other things can also save money and make you more sustainable in the process.
In fact, not only will most of this technology save you money while you are living in your home, but it can also earn you more money when you are trying to sell it! These small sustainable upgrades are all the rage right now and can make a difference in the overall value that a potential buyer may see in your home. Upgrades to thermostats as well as any renewable energy installations can drive utility costs down and improve sustainability.
Techy, Sustainable Food
Beyond just the energy and cost savings in your home, certain technologies can make you more sustainable in other ways as well. For instance, they can help you improve upon the sustainability of the foods that you eat. This is particularly true if you are motivated to decrease your carbon footprint through gardening. Not only will this improve your footprint, but it’ll also improve your food quality as well.
For those living in small apartments or in climates that don’t allow for year-round gardening, technology is here to save the day. Indoor gardens are a great option and, if designed well, may not take up too much space in a small area. Technologies such as grow lights, humidifiers, and watering monitors can help you produce the most while also being even more sustainable.
Even in your outdoor gardening enterprises, technology can make a difference. For instance, low flow hoses or sprinklers that are on a timer can reduce the amount of water you expend in your vegetable garden while still effectively watering your plants. On a much larger scale, technologies including irrigation upgrades, renewable energy sources, and geospatial imagery are helping farmers produce food sustainably and cost-effectively as well.
A Great Sustainable Lifestyle
Several other technology innovations are helping us to live more sustainable lives yet avoid giving up too much. Another example of this in action is at the gym, such as through treadmills that can be used to produce electricity. The energy produced by running on it not only powers the machine, but can also be used to power the entire building if enough people are working out!
Thanks to this revolutionary technology, sustainable living can be more attainable which is something we should all strive for with the threat of climate change looming. Fortunately, sustainable living can even encapsulate things like upgrading the thermostat, remembering to turn off the lights when you leave, growing your own food, and walking instead of driving. Although they seem small, all of these small changes add up over time. If all of us did them, we could change the tide.
With technology, this tide can become even stronger. Without them, the changes we would have to make in our lives to be sustainable would be harder. Along with dedication, technology can help anyone can survive and thrive while working towards a greater sustainability mindset.
