SMR: Food, Fuel and Greening it Up

As fuel prices soar, news services are beginning to warn that food prices will be next to rise. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out!

"As fuel prices hit record highs, the Victorian Farmers Federation revealed yesterday how much it expected prices of essentials would rise as a result." The Sunday Morning Herald reports. "..farmers say they cannot continue to absorb extra costs from rising petrol prices."

Now, normally I'd continue to pick through news articles for the rest of my rant, but this morning I'm inspired, so here are some tips that everyone can use to make their lives easier, save some money, and save the planet too!

Buy Local
This one's a no-brainer. Next time you're at the supermarket and about to buy something, stop for a second and think about how far the item has travelled to get to the shelf. Buy locally grown veggies and meat from local outlets - not from chain supermarkets. Shop right and you'll save a packet too.

Buy Fresh
Most of us are out and about most days of the week, whether it be for work, errands or whatever, so why not buy your veggies fresh? Do your veggie shop once a week, and only buy what you will eat or cook within a week. Frozen veg goes through a lot of processing, and covers a lot of distance before it ends up in the freezer section at the supermarket. Plus, fresh tastes better too!

Turn it off!
This is one tip that I've really taken to heart. I used to leave my computer on all the time, whether I was using it or not. Until I found out how much energy is uses! Turn appliances off at the off switch, or better still, at the power point when they're not in use. Don't put things in stand-by mode either: a study conducted by the International Energy Agency in 2001 showed that a staggering 13% of residential electricity used was stand-by! So take a walk around your home at night. Every little light you can see means more energy wasted! Oh, and turn off the light when you leave the room ;)

Change a Light globe
Change to energy-saving light bulbs in your home. "If every household in the United States replaced one regular light bulb with (a compact fluro bulb)... the pollution reduction would be the equivalent of removing one million cars from the road." If you don't like the color of them, use them where you won't see them much: outside, toilet, laundry, etc..

Don't drink bottled water
Save your money, and reduce waste: install an under-bench or on-tap water filter at home and make your own.

Well, there you have it. My top Eco-tips. Don't get too excited, I may have more in the future!