21 Things You Can Do to Help Stop Global Warming

1. SHOP AT LOCAL GREEN BUSINESSES

Support our local economy, reduce transportation emissions, and buy environmentally friendly products by shopping at local certified green businesses.

2. UNPLUG UN-USED ELECTRONICS

Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year. Make sure to unplug that cell phone charger when not in use or when leaving the house. Also, shut off your computer when not in use, and save 200 lbs of C02. Conserve energy by using your computer's "sleep mode" instead of a screensaver.

3. USE ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION

Automobiles are the single largest source of green house gases. For information about local transportation alternatives, visit rideshare.org.

4. PLANT A TREE

Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

5. INFLATE YOUR TIRES

Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.

6. USE RECYCLED PAPER

Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.

7. GO VEGETARIAN ONE DAY A WEEK – OR FOREVER

To produce one pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water-that's 40 times more water than is used to produce a pound of potatoes. Before buying beef, think about the immense cost of energy used to raise cattle and to transport meat to your supermarket shelf. Besides all this, cows consume enormous amounts of antibiotics and are a prodigious source of methane, which is the number-two greenhouse gas; livestock are responsible for almost 20 percent of the methane in the atmosphere.

8. CARPOOL

Own a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year. For more information about local transportation alternatives, visit www.rideshare.org.

9. LIGHTBULBS MATTER

Switch from traditional incandescent lightbulbs to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (C.F.L.). If every American household replaced one regular lightbulb with a C.F.L., the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the road. A 30-watt C.F.L. produces about as much light as an ordinary 100-watt bulb. Although the initial price is higher, C.F.L.'s can last 12 times as long. C.F.L.'s are available at most home-improvement stores and at bulbs.com. Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.

10. CHANGE YOUR THERMOSTAT

Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.

11. TAKE SHORTER SHOWERS

Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $99 per year.

12. BUY A FUEL-EFFICIENT CAR

Getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs. of CO2 and a lot of money per year.

13. DITCH PLASTIC BAGS

Californians Against Waste (cawrecycles.org), a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, estimates that Americans use 84 billion plastic bags annually, a considerable contribution to the 500 billion to one trillion used worldwide. Made from polyethylene, plastic bags are not biodegradable and are making their way into our oceans and waterways. According to recent studies, the oceans are full of tiny fragments of plastic that are beginning to work their way up the food chain. Invest in stronger, re-usable bags, and avoid plastic bags whenever possible. Bring cloth bags for shopping.

14. REUSE YOUR H2O BOTTLE

According the Natural Resources Defense Council, the equivalent of 2 billion half-liter bottles of water were shipped into the U.S. in 2006, creating thousands of tons of greenhouse gases. Also, recent statements by some bottled water manufacturers have confirmed that in many cases, bottled water is no more "pure" than water from the tap. So buy an on tap water filter and a reusable bottle and say no to plastic.

15. REDUCE GARBAGE

Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

16. INSULATE YOUR HOME AND WATER HEATER

Keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year. Make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $245 per year.

17. PUT ON YOUR FAVORITE SWEATER

Instead of turning up the heat in your home, wear more clothes Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $250 per year.

18. LINE-DRY YOUR CLOTHES

Line-dry your clothes instead of using the dryer. Save 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $75 per year.

19. CHANGE YOUR CAR’S AIR FILTER

Check your car's air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.

20. SHOP ORGANICALLY

The chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, require energy to produce, and are derived from fossil fuels. Visit our local Farmers’ Market to stock up on delicious organic foods and veggies.

21. MOW YOUR LAWN THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY

Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of carbon dioxide per year.