But What Can I Do?

To save the planet, you don't have to run out and chain yourself to a tree. In fact, that's pretty risky these days. What you can do are some little things right in your own sphere. The other day I wondered why my bathroom was so hot when I had turned the heat which is in the floor, off for the summer. I put my hand to the ceiling thinking it was those neighbours, the little elephants up there who left their heat on. But not so, dear neighbours, it was my row of bathroom light bulbs blazing away while I put on the eye liner and the rest of the morning paint. Wow, those bulbs that are incandescent, the old fashioned type, were pouring out ergs majorly. I flipped off the heat producers and on, the other one bulb in the shower that is dimmer and takes in and gives out much less energy. Anything requiring heat: dryers, old light bulbs, irons and so on, use energy and energy costs the planet, and you by the way. That is one small thing you can do. If everyone one of the billions of us on earth, did the same, think what a good thing that would be. Another matter is changing out attitudes about laundry for example. What is wrong with hanging out laundry and letting nature do the drying? This silly example of making it illegal to hang out on our decks, a wet towel or blouse or shirt or drying any kind of laundry. In today's world, it doesn't make sense. Europeans are much wiser and less "Hollywood" than we are, and instead of looking like THAT decor magazine, they revel in draping their apartments, alleys and balconies with laundry blowing in the wind. And why not? Think again, of the energy we expend in dryers grinding away with tiny loads of undies and table cloths and towels that could quite easily hang outside on decks. Who needs a pile of cute furniture seldom used? While you can't break the condo rules, you can present a case to your councils. Then there's ironing. And as you can tell, most of what I have to blog about is what happens in our immediate space: our home be it in a tower or on soil.  We don't need to drag out that miserable iron to make everything wrinkle free only to be wrinkled again.  Lots of our garments can hang in the shower, drip and come out pretty. It's depending on our spending. Cottons love to be sloshed in soapy water, rinsed and hung up wet. There are shower space racks to accommodate them nicely and really who doesn't like a bit of a wrinkle. It's human. Just ask the linen fans who love to display "real linen" wrinkles. Next comes the TV. If you are like me, you adore movies on a big screen, the biggest you can pay for. But most of the time, you listen to music on it. The amount of heat those things produce is astounding. In the winter you love that extra heat, but in our hot summers, it's a drag on the cooling bill. If you don't believe me, hold your hand above that small screen and find out. If you're just listening to music via your TV app, try searching for the button on the remote that says "audio only" and off goes the hot screen and on stays your music. Go on line to find out how to do it with your TV. Turn off the lights and find the peace it brings to you. In the morning, open the windows and in the afternoon close them and put on the fans with your ice water bowls next to them. Heat comes in windows your hand test will tell you. I have a tiny personal AC that is a boon. It has both a USB and a power cord and is directed right at my jaw and it does the job of cooling me very well. Also it can go bedside or computer side or watching TV side. Last, while you are turning down the lights and loving the relaxing effect, listening to some pleasant music on the "audio only", think about installing bars in the shower for you next laundry date. More to come on this but that's enough for now. Have to go sort my recycles. You as well? Good on you, Planet Hero.