A very happy new year 2015 to all my readers! A new year is always a good time to do new beginning, so after 6 long years the 'Green Living' blog has now a fresh new look along with a more appropriate name, "Green Living in Dubai"! So I decided to dedicate this post to discuss how to live green in Dubai.
Every resident of UAE pays two biggest bills one is electricity and second water. We need to use air-conditioning for at least 5/6 months but there are ways to save your air-con bills
1. Nov-May you can live happily without A/C, just open your windows. If required you can use table fans.
2. During summer always keep thermostat on 24/23 degrees, just to make pleasant atmosphere. We don't need to make chilled indoors when it is 34 degrees outside.
3. Not wearing suites in offices and conferences during summer in UAE should be a norm. Companies can take initiative, if not we can start that from us and spread the awareness. Wearing weather appropriate clothes is just common sense isn't it?
4. For better circulation of conditioned air fan can be used at home and in offices but we push thermostat to it's limit!
5. Please don't keep A/C in your home on while you go out, if it's unavoidable then at least keep it on 25/26 degrees. I know millions of people in Dubai who like to return back to a chilled home! It's luxury not necessity at the cost of lot of electricity!
6. Best way to reduce heating of homes/offices is shading, so try to shade the windows, doors by simple structures, trees, even thick curtain helps.
7. Always clean A/C filters at least once at the start of summer to prevent airborne infections.
8. Don't disconnect yourself from outside even during the summer. If you observe June is always a better month that June and August. If you keep in touch with outdoors, you can probably adjust thermostat accordingly and can actually prevent unnecessary colds and flues.
10. Oh yes, adjust the thermostat in fridge two times in year, start of summer and start of winter.
We all know, UAE is completely dependent on desalinated water, so using water wisely is most important here.
1. If you reduce your water use you don't just save your water bills but you save sewage bill too.
2. Invest in water efficient washing machine and always run it on full load.
3. Swimming during summer is better than 2-3 showers a day.
4. Figure out ways of recycling water at your household. Ex. Car can be washed on lawn, so that lawn watering can be done in same water.
5. We all buy drinking water here, but many times we forget that half filled bottle in car. In summer that water smells weird so we can't drink it. But we can always use that water for plants or filling car wiper tank.
Recently on 31st there was big traffic jam as always so I think topic of using public transport is not out of the blue. Few years back when there was no metro and no connecting buses, things were different. But now most part of Dubai is well linked with public transport.
1. Avoid using cars at least on weekends and use public transport
2. To commute to and from office we can always share cars with colleagues or find professionals on sites like car share etc. I have done it few years back and believe me it's fun, you get to know many different things from each other. If the car buddies are from different countries then you look forward to that boring commuting time and even enjoy traffic jams!
3. When you can walk, you don't need your car. Depending too much on your favorite car is not healthy.
4. You can buy all those fancy cars which you can't buy in your home country. But even then if you will buy fuel efficient car then you won't do any harm to yourself. I have seen people don't even care for safety ratings when they buy car. It is norm on Dubai roads to show respect to high-end cars, but if we start showing respect to hybrid, electric cars on road then craze for that cars will start too.
Check our Green Home section to know more about living green.
Enjoy the rich Nature of UAE! People know high life in Dubai malls, hotels, shopping, movies, great food for entertainment. But many don't even venture in beauty of dessert, rocky mountains.
Visit, camp, star gaze in dessert, play in super soft sand in Abu dhabi. hike mountains in RAK and explore wadies, kayak in Kalaba mangroves. There are many beaches and parks. But don't disturb nature or habitat.
1. Playing music in wild is not cool, instead hear the sounds of nature
2. Don't throw any garbage anywhere, cleanup while you leave
3. Sorry guys, but try not to smoke. When you are in Nature breath pure air and let others do that. But if you smoke then please don't throw cigarette ends, they are found remotest parts of UAE. Shame!
4. Explore flora and fauna but don't damage it.
5. Don't leave your pets in wild, first they might not survive or they will harm local habitat while they survive
6. Teach your kids how to care for Nature, by example.
Check our Green Mama, Enviro Dubai, Green Events and Eco travels sections for more ideas
Lastly, if you need any help making your life green and want to know more about Green products and services around Dubai, check our Green directory section.
Let's restart our journey towards Green future...
Every resident of UAE pays two biggest bills one is electricity and second water. We need to use air-conditioning for at least 5/6 months but there are ways to save your air-con bills
1. Nov-May you can live happily without A/C, just open your windows. If required you can use table fans.
2. During summer always keep thermostat on 24/23 degrees, just to make pleasant atmosphere. We don't need to make chilled indoors when it is 34 degrees outside.
3. Not wearing suites in offices and conferences during summer in UAE should be a norm. Companies can take initiative, if not we can start that from us and spread the awareness. Wearing weather appropriate clothes is just common sense isn't it?
4. For better circulation of conditioned air fan can be used at home and in offices but we push thermostat to it's limit!
5. Please don't keep A/C in your home on while you go out, if it's unavoidable then at least keep it on 25/26 degrees. I know millions of people in Dubai who like to return back to a chilled home! It's luxury not necessity at the cost of lot of electricity!
6. Best way to reduce heating of homes/offices is shading, so try to shade the windows, doors by simple structures, trees, even thick curtain helps.
7. Always clean A/C filters at least once at the start of summer to prevent airborne infections.
8. Don't disconnect yourself from outside even during the summer. If you observe June is always a better month that June and August. If you keep in touch with outdoors, you can probably adjust thermostat accordingly and can actually prevent unnecessary colds and flues.
10. Oh yes, adjust the thermostat in fridge two times in year, start of summer and start of winter.
We all know, UAE is completely dependent on desalinated water, so using water wisely is most important here.
1. If you reduce your water use you don't just save your water bills but you save sewage bill too.
2. Invest in water efficient washing machine and always run it on full load.
3. Swimming during summer is better than 2-3 showers a day.
4. Figure out ways of recycling water at your household. Ex. Car can be washed on lawn, so that lawn watering can be done in same water.
5. We all buy drinking water here, but many times we forget that half filled bottle in car. In summer that water smells weird so we can't drink it. But we can always use that water for plants or filling car wiper tank.
Recently on 31st there was big traffic jam as always so I think topic of using public transport is not out of the blue. Few years back when there was no metro and no connecting buses, things were different. But now most part of Dubai is well linked with public transport.
1. Avoid using cars at least on weekends and use public transport
2. To commute to and from office we can always share cars with colleagues or find professionals on sites like car share etc. I have done it few years back and believe me it's fun, you get to know many different things from each other. If the car buddies are from different countries then you look forward to that boring commuting time and even enjoy traffic jams!
3. When you can walk, you don't need your car. Depending too much on your favorite car is not healthy.
4. You can buy all those fancy cars which you can't buy in your home country. But even then if you will buy fuel efficient car then you won't do any harm to yourself. I have seen people don't even care for safety ratings when they buy car. It is norm on Dubai roads to show respect to high-end cars, but if we start showing respect to hybrid, electric cars on road then craze for that cars will start too.
Check our Green Home section to know more about living green.
Enjoy the rich Nature of UAE! People know high life in Dubai malls, hotels, shopping, movies, great food for entertainment. But many don't even venture in beauty of dessert, rocky mountains.
Visit, camp, star gaze in dessert, play in super soft sand in Abu dhabi. hike mountains in RAK and explore wadies, kayak in Kalaba mangroves. There are many beaches and parks. But don't disturb nature or habitat.
1. Playing music in wild is not cool, instead hear the sounds of nature
2. Don't throw any garbage anywhere, cleanup while you leave
3. Sorry guys, but try not to smoke. When you are in Nature breath pure air and let others do that. But if you smoke then please don't throw cigarette ends, they are found remotest parts of UAE. Shame!
4. Explore flora and fauna but don't damage it.
5. Don't leave your pets in wild, first they might not survive or they will harm local habitat while they survive
6. Teach your kids how to care for Nature, by example.
Check our Green Mama, Enviro Dubai, Green Events and Eco travels sections for more ideas
Lastly, if you need any help making your life green and want to know more about Green products and services around Dubai, check our Green directory section.
Let's restart our journey towards Green future...
