Being More Earth Friendly

Every year I swear I am going to start a compost pile. That I am going to recycle more. That I am going to start growing more of my own food. I have planted a few cherry trees, grow my own onions, pumpkins and strawberries, baby steps. But here are a few simple things we can do to be a more responsible citizens of Earth, without feeling like we are sacrificing much.

1. Change a light: Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

2. Plant a tree: A single tree with absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

3. Drive less: Walk, bike, carpool or take metro transit more often. You'll save one pound of carbon dioxide for ever mile you don't drive.

4. Adjust your thermostat: Changing your thermostat down just 2 degrees in Winter and up 2 degrees in Summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

5. Recycle more: You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling half of your household waste.

6. Use less hot water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low flow shower head (350 pounds saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year).

7. Check your tires: Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%, I know that sound small, but every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere.

8. Avoid products with a lot of packaging: You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down on your garbage by 10%.

9. Turn off electronic devices: Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo and computer when you are not using them will save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Go a step further and unplug the ones you can, some appliances become vampires and suck electricity when they are off.

10. Buy locally: Every mile your food doesn't have to travel saves a pound of carbon dioxide. Plus it stimulates your home economy and supports your neighbors.

There are many ways we can be more Earth Friendly. You can dry your clothes on a clothesline during the warm months, or you can bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Every little bit helps. Even if you aren't a believer in global warming, being wasteful isn't beneficial. Every little bit we do now, helps our planet.