Many people today find time to recycle bottles and make use of other environmentally friendly practices in order to reduce their impact on the planet.  On the other hand, achieving energy independence can be difficult when you don’t have a plan in place that enables you to achieve your goal within budgetary and time limits.  Rather than simply assume that renewable or conserved energy resources will never fit into you life, you can at least try a few simple things and then look for ways to expand your efforts.

Solar Cooking Picnics

Regardless of whether you want to go on a day long date, or you want to spend some time with your children, there is nothing quite like a picnic.   While many people make use of cold foods, you might just decide to bring along a solar cooker.  Even if you construct a device from cardboard, you are sure to enjoy letting the sun prepare your food while you are enjoying other activities.

Using Solar Power for Your Laptop

There is no question that laptops and netbooks have become a normal item to carry from one place to another.  Chances are, you also realize that a laptop takes a good bit less current than a conventional desktop computer.   In fact, a pocket sized solar power recharging kit can provide all of the electricity you will need to keep your laptop battery charged up.  No matter whether you want to sit in the park or near a sunny window, you can enjoy knowing that your laptop isn’t relying on commercial energy sources.

In a sense, our society has been programmed to believe that commercial energy resources are the most reliable and convenient way to meet daily energy needs.  On the other hand, it is very important to realize that a few simple changes now can easily grow into  bigger changes later on.   For example, while you may not think that using a solar power battery for your laptop represents a big step, it does symbolize a fundamental shift in how you think about energy and your electric bill.  In a similar way, once you begin using a solar cooker for special occasions, eventually you will look forward to using it on a daily basis.  Before you know it,  your conserved energy options will expand to a point where relying  on commercial energy will look like the worst, and most wasteful thing in the world.   At that point, when you look at others trapped by high electric bills and other problems, you will truly be glad that you have achieved energy independence.