The whole movement of ethical living is fascinating. It seems it can be anything from the simple personal choice of recycling, to a complete lifestyle change involving burying your biological waste and not washing much.
As with all such movements, there are zealots who implore others to set aside their wicked ways and follow in the light. Corporates or “big business” is a particular target, unsurprisingly given how much waste is thus produced.
If you want to live in an ethical home, there are many books and websites that can give you ideas. There is a whole range of things that individuals can do. It’s all very well to say that this effort is insignificant in the global scheme of things, but I think every little bit helps, and you’ve got to start somewhere.
It’s hard to change an existing home, but it is possible. You can start with simple practices in the home – recycling, composting, installing a low flow shower head, turning off lights when not in a room, turning off appliances at the wall when you go away, or even just overnight.
Existing homes can be fitted with renewable energy capture equipment, such as solar panels or small wind turbines, but of course, it’s much easier to do (and more effective) if you build from scratch. Which can be difficult if you already own a home, but you can maybe get cash for home if you sell to one of those quick sale places, and then buy some land and start from scratch.
One of the big areas where we can be “greener” is the bathroom, in terms of creating a relaxing, safe and clean environment. The standard bathroom suite is not necessarily the best for this sort of bathroom. Large baths are a luxury and use a lot of water. But every now and then we deserve this sort of pampering. So we need both a luxurious, deep bath and an energy-efficient shower. Ideally, it would be possible to create a smaller bath within our large bath – that might be an idea for bathroom specialists. A bit like an adult-sized baby bath.
Our bathroom furniture can help with the atmosphere – I prefer natural woods, properly protected for the damp air, over too much chrome and porcelain. A wooden floor is warmer than tiles, and so mitigates the need for under-floor heating.
Tags: bathrooms, ethical, home improvements