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We are living in a world where bad news about the impact we are having on our climate is making its way to us every day. More and more of us are beginning to wake up to reality and starting to understand that things have to change if we are to prevent further damage to our planet. It is easy to look at technology as part of the problem. After all, it could be argued that creating it uses up precious resources. Ultimately though, technology could be the key in helping us reverse climate damage. We’ll take a look at five ways in which technology can help you to be more sustainable.
1. Make your home smarter
Sustainability is all about using as little of the resources that the earth provides as possible. This really means that we have to look at our energy usage at home and cut that as much as we can. Technology can play a big part in that. We can, for instance, install thermostats to help us control the temperature of our homes, smart lighting that can be activated with motion, or even eco-friendly appliances. Utilising technology around the home can reduce our energy usage and save us money at the same time.
2. Change the way you shop
A recent study found that 71.4% of shoppers were taking environmental impact into consideration when deciding where to shop and which products to purchase. Luckily, technology gives us the power to understand our choices. The internet and the advent of social media have made it easy to thoroughly research a brand or product so that we can understand the environmental impact of our purchasing decisions.
3. Consider sharing
Technology can really help to connect us. Apps such as Olio, for instance, can help you connect with others so that you can share out food that would otherwise go to waste. Social media is also great for passing on other items. Doing so reduces consumption, which can reduce the volume of goods being manufactured and can prevent items from ending up at landfill unnecessarily.
4. Electric cars
Technology has brought us electric cars, and recent advances have made them more and more affordable to the general public. Switching from petrol to electricity is going to have a significantly positive impact on the environment, so we should be getting behind this switch. Better still, technology might one day provide us with much greener ways to create the electricity that we need to run cars without burning fossil fuels. If we really support it, technology might just be the thing that saves this planet.
5. Go paperless
Digital storage systems such as the Cloud make it easy for us to go paperless. Our use of tablets and smartphones can also cut down on our need to make notes on paper. Reducing our usage of paper for both business and personal use is great for our environment. Cutting down trees only leads to more carbon in the atmosphere – which is one of the leading causes of climate change, of course.