Clothes hung out to dry, considered an embarrassment in new-age apartments but seen across India, could help save America and the world.
America could significantly cut its greenhouse gas emissions through a set of 17 easy-to-implement household actions, including line-drying of clothes widely practised in India, a study has shown.
The study by US researchers has indicated that household behavioural change and existing commercial technologies can save an estimated 123 million metric tonnes of emissions per year — about 7 per cent of total US emissions. The US is the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter after China.
The researchers estimate that only 8 per cent of US households line-dry laundry during five months. The study points out that millions of households are prevented from line-drying by private home owners’ association rules.
The findings, Vandenbergh said, demonstrate that behaviour change can generate emissions reductions as large as emissions from major sectors such as iron and steel, petroleum refining and aluminium industries.
