Important Ways to Go Green

Recycling, turning down the heat, and sealing windows may be the best-known ways to go green. But these are not the only ways and may not even be the most important. It is hard to rank green actions because they are all critical to saving and restoring the environment. Reducing, re-using and recycling are key steps. Reducing what we purchase and consume and re-using what we have are actions that decrease the amount of materials we must find a way to recycle. These actions also cut demand for some products and reduces carbon emissions from their manufacture.

Plastic

• Give up bottled water. Avoid buying drinks packaged in plastic bottles. Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year and more than 75 percent of plastic bottles not recycled. Forty-seven million gallons of oil are used to make those bottles.

Fly Less

• You can save 1 ton of CO2 every time you take the train or even drive instead of taking a mid-range flight. One ton is equivalent to one year of recycling. Call or video conference instead of flying if you can avoid it.

Meat

• If you stop consuming meat you can reduce your carbon footprint. The meat industry is a leading producer of carbon emissions. The resources needed to raise, move and slaughter animals is much higher than the energy needed to grow vegetables. Grow your own vegetables. Even if you grow one small pot of tomatoes on the window sill you are reducing carbon emissions.

Power

• Ask your power utility if they can enroll you in a green power program. This will allow you to use wind power or another renewable energy source. If the utility does not have such an option, pressure them to get one. Install ceiling fans in your home. Shut out sunlight in summer and let it in during winter. Turn the heat down and put on a sweater. Seal cracks in attics, windows and doors. Wash laundry in cold water and dry it on a clothesline if you have room to put one up. Take shorter showers.