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- When it’s time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle. You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency online.
- Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by10-15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has info on planting and provides trees with membership.
- Be sure you’re recycling at home. You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you to find recycling resources in your area.
- This week don't miss our new battery recycling boxes located near the Welcome Centers. Just bring in old batteries and drop off in the designated boxes.
- Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs in places where the light frequently remains on– like a porch. They use one third the electricity and will save about $40 over the life of the bulb.
- Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer. Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes for heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment
- Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner. Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
- Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each household in the US replaces its existing appliances with the most efficient models, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
- Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 lbs. of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
- Turn off electric devices you’re not using. Simply turning off your TV, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you’re not using them will save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
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