The Ethical Model - Kitchen Edition

Alright, well you have done your best to be the most ethical consumer you could think of.  You turn out those CFL and
LED light bulbs when you leave the room, only plug in your cell phone charger when it's working, and carpool when you get a chance. You definitely earn yourself a pat on the back.  But if you are still looking for quick and relatively easy things you can do around your home to improve your habits, then keep reading.  Many of the items, appliances, or ways we use those devices can significantly add up to wasted energy, which in turn causes more harm to the environment and makes for a greater carbon footprint. But just as many causes for concerns there are, there are many measures to take to improve your ethical energy status.  For this post, lets take it to the kitchen.

If you haven't already purchased an Energy Star Label fridge and freezer yet and your old one is in need of replacement, you will do well to opt for these more efficient models. They will run more effectively, you will cutback on the amount of energy your home consumes, and you will even be saving money.  And when you are looking for a freezer you want to pick one that is just big enough to meet your needs but not one that has too much space; factor in 4.5 cubic feet of area for every person in your home.  Also go for a model that is opened from the top rather than the front as these will help keep cold air trapped inside the best. When you do load up your fridge you don't want to cram it too full of food; let there be adequate air flow so that it will be able to run the best.

Then when you have your fridge and freezer you want to make sure that their seals are up to par.  If your seal is
allowing air to leak out it is running inefficiently, so you will want to check to make sure they are adhesive enough. You can easily do this by shutting a piece of paper in the door and then pulling it out.  If the slip of paper slides out too easily you know then that you should replace the seals.  Inside you want to set the temperatures at a level that is adequate for your food but not a waste of energy consumption.  So for a freezer you should have it at 5 degree Fahrenheit and the fridge at 40 degree Fahrenheit.

When you're cooking in that kitchen you want to avoid using the oven as much as you can. Use if for your bigger, main entrees but for the smaller items and side dishes opt for the microwave, pressure cooker, toaster, or electric pan.  In fact you can even cook your food in less time and save energy by simply placing any food you are heating up in the microwave on the edge of the rotating platform.  Who knew food placement could make a difference?! You see it really is amazing what little tweaks around the kitchen can do to improve your homes efficiency and in turn make you a more ethical consumer.  What is relatively painless on your end will work wonders at helping to preserve our environment.