Quick Tips to Reduce Your Emissions

QUICK TIP #1: REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY YOU USE

Save money and the climate by turning off your lights, TV, computer and stereo whenever you leave the room. Plug all appliances and home electronics into a power strip that you can turn off, because many appliances still consume energy when plugged into a socket whether they are on or off. Immediately replace old light bulbs with ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent light bulbs-the light quality is now the same and you'll save a ton of money on your electric bill. Use a fan instead of an air conditioner. For laundry, use an efficient front-loading washing machines in place of a top-loader, use the cold-cold wash cycle, and hang dry your laundry. Clean the coils on the back of your fridge twice a year with a rag and if your fridge is more than 10 years old consider upgrading to a more efficient unit. Take shorter showers and use cooler water-it's better for your health and our environment. Finally, consider installing a solar water heater on your roof-the single most important move you can make to reduce your electric bill and carbon footprint.

The following websites provide other helpful tips:

QUICK TIP #2: DRIVE LESS, FLY LESS & USE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION

If you are going to idle your car for more than half a minute, turn it off! When driving, accelerate your car gently to increase gas mileage. Drive at 55 mph on the highway. Fly less-it is one of the most carbon intensive methods of travel, especially those inter-island short flights. Rather than fly to your next business meeting, try using a web-based video conferencing tool. Carpool whenever possible, use public transportation and try riding a bike to get to your destination. Your health and work productivity will improve if you commute on a bike! On your next vehicle purchase opt for a vehicle that gets at least 30 miles per gallon. If you want to go a step further, look into a hybrid vehicle or one that operates on biodiesel. To learn more about green car options, check out Green Car Journal.

QUICK TIP #3: REDUCE YOUR WASTE & RECYCLE

Buy products that are grown or manufactured locally, made from less processed raw materials and use less packaging. Try to re-use items multiple times before throwing them away. Recycle. Keep an arsenal of cloth grocery bags in your car (or alternative mode of transport) so that next time you go grocery shopping you won't need to use unecessary plastic or paper bags supplied by the store. Try composting your yard trimmings and food scraps, which account for 24% of the U.S. municipal waste stream.

To learn more about waste, composting and recycling, feel free to check out these websites:

QUICK TIP #4: INFLUENCE OTHERS WITH YOUR POCKET BOOK

Make a difference by educating yourself and then purchasing products that are ecologically responsible and minimize their impact on our climate and natural ecosystems. If a local business has an Evolution Sage sticker in their window-patronize them and tell your friends! It means they share your care about our climate and are carbon-neutral.

To become more informed and ecologically responsible start off by taking a look at these sites: