The average American today uses enough energy to release about 50,000 pounds of carbon dioxide- the major contributor to global warming- per year. Here are 20 simple steps you can take to bring your average down.
1. Urge your United States Senators to support the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act.
2. Run your dishwashwer only with a full load. Use the energy-saving setting to dry the dishes. Don't use heat when drying.
3. Wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot.
4. Turn down your water heater thermostat; 120 degrees is usually sufficent.
5. Monitor the temperature in your home. Adjust your thermostat - lower in the winter and higher in the summer.
6. Clean or replace air filters as recommended.
7. Buy energy efficient compact flourescent bulbs for your most used lights.
8. Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket (but only if the water heater is over five years old and has no internal insulation).
9. Install low-flow shower heads to use less hot water.
10. Caulk and weatherstrip around doors and windows to plug air leaks.
11. Ask your utility company to conduct an energy audit to find out where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient.
12. Whenever possible, walk, bike, carpool, or use mass transit.
13. When time and budget permits, buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle- one that gets at least five more mpg than your old car.
14. Reduce waste by buying minimally packaged goods; choosing reusable products over disposable ones.
15. Request that the coolant be recycled every time your car air conditioner is serviced.
16. Insulate your walls and ceilings to save about 25% on your home heating bills.
17. If you need to replace your windows, install the best energy saving models.
18. Recycle your potentially recycable material (paper, plastics, and glass).
19. As you replace home appliances, select the most energy efficient models.
20. Sign and return your Citizen Pledge to Fight Global Warming and join Environmental Defense Action Fund.
For more information, visit
www.environmentaldefense.org
or call 1-800-591-1919
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Helpful Links:
grist.org
idealbite.com
treehugger.com
StopGlobalWarming.org
Natural Resources Defense Council
Greenpeace on Global Warming
Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth': A Life Altering Film
Calculate your carbon dioxide output
GlobalWarming- in plain English
Global Warming- Undo It
Global Waming.org
