Be Environmental this Summer

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Now that the weather's starting to get a bit warmer, I started thinking about all the ways people will waste energy with the warmer weather. I always try to sneak in some environmental consulting with my blog posts, so here we go:

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, we use most of our electricity and energy throughout the summer, which is mostly used on the increased levels of air conditioning we burn through. Quite often, stores leave their doors wide open in the summer time as a way to invite potential customers into their cooler store. Of course, this wastes tons of energy and I try to avoid those stores all-together as an act of defiance. If the weather isn't uncomfortably hot outside, don't bother to turn on the AC. Just roll up your windows and enjoy the nice cool air.

If you're going to be staying inside, simply wear cooler and more loosely fitting clothes. It is understandable if you have to wear a suit to work every day, but change into shorts and a tee shirt instead of cranking up the AC when you get home. I always prefer to jump into my Dickies work pants on a hot summer day, since i cannot wear shorts to work. Also, a polo shirt always looks fairly professional and can keep you cool on a hot day.

Also, if you work in the manufacturing industry, you can be environmentally friendly as well. Take for example the steel industry. Many companies make steel with intense heat repeatedly, which uses up a great amount of energy. Take the heat out of the equation, and make a product like cold drawn steel, and you get a steel product that is just as strong if not stronger, and the energy saved can save the manufacturer quite a bit of money.