10 Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Today, April 22, 2009, is Earthday.

Here are 10 ways to reduce your carbon footprint:

1. Carpool or ride a bike to work. The less you drive your car, the better.
2. Run all your errands at the same time, instead of taking multiple trips in your vehicle.
3. Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs. They cost more than standard incandescent bulbs, but in the long run will save you a lot in energy costs.
   

   Reuse Reduce Recycle

4. Set the thermostat a few degrees lower in winter (and a few degrees higher in summer if you have an air conditioner in your home).
5. Turn everything off when not in use. That includes lights, TVs, computers, etc. Also, talk to your office manager about asking employees to shut off everything before they head home at night.
6. Turn the water heater down a few notches. Water requires a tremendous amount of energy to heat.
7. Air dry clothes after you wash them, using a clothesline or drying rack.
8. Fully fill your washing machine and dishwasher each time you use them.
9. Buy local produce and products, since they weren’t shipped long distance to reach you. Farmers’ markets are a great place to find locally grown produce.
10. Recycle. When you throw things away instead of reusing them or allowing the materials to be recycled, more resources and energy will be needed to produce replacement products.

As a bonus, nearly all of these tips will also save you some “green” that is near & dear to your heart: Money!