Summer a Great Time to Go Green

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Summer is synonymous with many things, such as vacations, backyard barbecues and soaking up the sun.

While those have long been summertime traditions, summer can also be a great time to start living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. And many of these lifestyle adjustments are easy to make, especially during the warmer months of the year.

• Let nature dry your clothes. Clothes dryers need substantial amounts of energy to operate. Homeowners can greatly reduce their carbon footprint, however, by choosing to dry their clothes outdoors on a clothesline during summer months.

• Install solar lights around your property. Another way to save energy, and money, around the house this summer is to install solar garden lights around the property. Such lights are typically inexpensive, and the daytime sunlight will power them through the night, saving energy and money.

• Cover the pool. Few things are more enjoyable come summertime than taking a dip in the backyard pool. While pools are not typically seen as environmentally friendly, covering the pool can make it much more beneficial to the environment. That's because a cover will keep water from evaporating, meaning you'll fill the pool far less often. And a pool cover will keep the heat in the pool, reducing your heating costs in the process.

• Change the bulbs. Energy-saving light bulbs inside the house can make your home more comfortable once the temperatures heat up. Energy-saving bulbs emit less heat and also last much longer than their traditional counterparts.

• Change your barbecue routine. Backyard barbecues are a staple of summertime for families across the country. However, these gatherings can often prove unfriendly to the environment. Rather than using paper plates or napkins at your next backyard barbecue, use reusable plastic plates and cloth napkins. This is far less wasteful and can make a very positive impact on the environment.

• Don't be so quick to turn on the air conditioning. Air conditioners use substantial amounts of energy. In lieu of turning the air on at the first sign of a heat wave, consider installing ceiling fans or simply opening the windows. Many families don't spend much time at home during the daytime hours when temperatures are at their peak anyway, which should make it easier to get through summer without relying so heavily on costly and environmentally unfriendly air conditioning.