Eco-Action Tip

Car

  • Walk, ride a bike, or combine trips to reduce driving. If you stopped driving just 20 extra miles per week for one year, you could save about 900 pounds of CO2.
  • A well-maintained car is more fuel-efficient, produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions, is more reliable, and is safer. Keep your car well tuned, follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule, and use the recommended grade of motor oil. Also check and replace your vehicle's air filter regularly.
  • Check your tire pressure regularly. Under-inflation increases tire wear, reduces your fuel economy, and leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions. If you don't know the correct tire pressure for your vehicle, you can find it listed on the door to the glove compartment or on the driver's-side door pillar.
  • Combine trips more often. It's easy! Chances are, you're already doing it -- combining your errands into one trip. It helps you get things done and it helps reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. When you first start a car after it's been sitting for more than an hour, it pollutes up to five times more than when the engine's warm.
  • Take mass transit, share a ride, or car pool. Even if you do it just once or twice a week, you'll reduce traffic congestion and pollution, and save money. The average driver spends about 56 cents per mile including ownership and maintenance.
  • Have fun! Ride your bike. It's a great way to travel and it can help you and the air get into condition. Vehicles on the road create more than 25% of all air pollution nationwide.
  • Get fuel when it's cool. Refueling during cooler periods of the day or in the evening can prevent gas fumes from heating up and creating ozone. And that can help reduce ozone alert days.
  • Don't top off the tank. It releases gas fumes into the air, which cancels the benefits of the pump's anti-pollution devices. So, stopping short of a full tank keeps gas off of you, is safer, and reduces pollution.
  • Telecommute. Work at home sometimes. You'll save time and money, and reduce emissions and traffic congestion.
  • Know before you go. If your area has a travel and transit information network, use it by calling, visiting the web site, or tuning into the cable station. Get travel and transit updates before you leave home and you won't get stuck in a jam.
  • Idling gets you 0 miles per gallon. The best way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it. No more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days is needed. Anything more simply wastes fuel and increases emissions.
  • Avoid high speeds. Above 60 mph, gas mileage drops rapidly. The http://fueleconomy.gov/ web site shows how driving speed affects gas mileage.

Home

  • During winter, dense, low-lying trees and shrubbery on the north and northeast sides of your home can help protect your home against wind chill.
  • Moving your thermostat down two degrees in the winter and up to degrees in the summer saves 2,000 pounds of CO2.
  • Replacing each regular bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb saves 150 pounds of CO2 a year per bulb.
  • Planting shrubs, bushes, and vines next to your house creates dead air spaces that insulate your home in both winter and summer. Plant so there will be at least 1 foot (30 centimeters) of space between full-grown plants and your home's wall.
  • Simple steps like cleaning air filters regularly and having your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor can save energy and increase comfort at home, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When it's time to replace your old equipment, choose a high efficiency model, and make sure it is properly sized and installed.
  • Plant trees to shade your home, reducing your cooling costs in the summer months. Typically, newly planted trees will begin shading windows in their first year and will reach your roof in years 5-10.
  • Landscaping your home for energy efficiency can reduce your heating and cooling bills, the largest component of your home's energy use. Your overall landscaping strategy will depend on your regional climate.

Life

  • By purchasing a 100% new renewable energy product for a year, an American household using an average of 938 kWh per month could help avoid contributing over 15,600 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
  • Of the 25 billion single-serving plastic water bottles Americans use each year, 80% end up in landfills. Recycle your water bottles and, better yet, choose to re-use a refillable water bottle made of a refill-safe material.
  • Plant a tree. Over an average lifetime of 40 years, one tree absorbs about 665 pounds of carbon dioxide. Trees have other benefits too, like reducing stormwater runoff and providing wildlife habitats. Visit the BeGreenNow store to purchase a Gift of Green, which plants native trees in United States ecosystem restoration projects.
  • Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.
  • There is a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors; they do not. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning monitors off is always the better energy-saving strategy.
  • ENERGY STAR computers and monitors save energy only when the power management features are activated, so make sure power management is activated on your computer.
  • To maximize savings with a laptop, put the AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically); the transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter.
  • Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
  • Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on home appliances, electronics and other products. ENERGY STAR® products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
  • "Phantom" loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.