Modify the temperature on your Thermostat

OK – so we’ve heard about this one for years, but did you know that adjusting the temperature four (4) degrees using a programmable thermostat saves energy AND money – about $130/year. Not to mention 1,300 pounds of CO2!

And if everyone in the US did it for just one year? Enough CO2 would be saved that it would equal 12,350,000 cars coming of the road! Just 4 degrees makes a big difference.

Reduce, Reuse, RECYCLE

What is the one thing you can recycle that by doing so will save enough electricity to power a TV for three (3) hours? An aluminum can!

Recycling aluminum and steel cans puts valuable metal into new products, saving 95% of the energy required to make aluminum from scratch and 74% of the energy needed to make steel.

414 pounds of CO2 saved is equivalent to 3.9 million cars removed from the roads for one year! Just by recycling our soda and beer cans … It really is that simple.

Light bulbs – compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL)

They used to be long lights you’d see in schools and offices, until someone got smart and started twisting them into short, compact shapes that fit in table lamps. They save a lot of energy, and over time they save you money.

A 25-watt CFL provides the same amount of light as a 75-watt incandescent, but lasts 10 times longer. At one-third of the cost of an incandescent bulb no one should pass up this deal.

And remember – just like the long straight ones, when they run out of juice you can recycle them at the landfill.

What have you done to make your home/office/life more GREEN?

• Are you changing out your light bulbs to CFLs?
• Are you driving a hybrid vehicle?
• Are you riding a bus or bicycle to work or school?
• Are you installing solar panels for electricity or hot water?
• Are you installing a water reuse-system?
• Are you starting a compost pile?
• Are you using non-toxic cleaning supplies?
• Are you creating a rain garden or using rain barrels?
• Have you had a natural resource consumption assessment made of
  your business or home?

Reuse your newspaper

Spring is finally here and people are out in their gardens. Newspapers happen to be very handy for gardeners; it makes a great mulch to protect against weeds. Layer 3-4 sheets; cover with some pine straw or other mulch and voila – weed free garden!

It’s also great if you have an area of grass that you plan to convert to an active garden (good idea – less area to mow less CO2 created). Layer about 5-6 sheets of newspaper, cover with pine straw or other mulching material to weigh down the paper and then water the newspaper well. In six to eight weeks the grass will be killed, leaving more organic material without the heavy work of digging up the unwanted lawn.