| Monday, April 16, 2007 |
| HOW TO LIVE A GREENER LIFE |
RESOURCES: A few ways to help reduce the billions of metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions created yearly by the U.S.
AT HOME
Calculate your impact:
If knowledge is power, then take a minute to assess the damage. The U.S. Environm,ental Protection Agency's online calculator estimates' greenhouse gas emissions that result from your household energy use and was disposal. Get your number at epa.gov/climate.
Trade up:
Not ready to replace the roof with solar panels? Then start small. The average U.S. home has two Tv's, a VCR, a DVD player and three telephones. If everyone replaced these with Energy Star models, which meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines, it would be equivalent to aking more than 3 million car off the road. Learn more about Energy Star at energystar.gov.
Sweat the small stuff:
A faucet that leaks 60 drops per minute can add up to 192 gallons per month. You can find out how to leak-proof your home and even create a water budget at h2ouse.org.
Ramp up recycling:
Increasing the recycling rate in the United States from 30 percent to 60 percent would save the equivalent of 315 millino barrels of oild each year. Visit earth911.org for a rundown on how to properly recycle everything from aluminum to motor oil.
Do some green cleaning:
Natural cleaners like borax and lemon juice are ecofriendly alternatives to regular chemical based products. Check out eartheasy.co, for basic house hold cleaner recipes.
Power Property:
Using energy generated from renewable sources like wind helps recuce the burning of fossil fules such as coal. The Green Power Network at eere.energy.gov/green power will list what's available in your area.
ON THE ROAD
Drive in the green lane:
Compare fuel-efficiency rates and learn about green tax credits at fueleconomy.gov. Not looking to buy? The site also offers tips to help make your vehicale less of a gas guzzler. Properly inflated tires alone coild same Americans more than 4 million gallons of gas each day.
Go public:
You can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about 1,590 pounds per year if you leave the car home two days a week and take public trasnportation instead. Find out about public-transportation options in your state at publictransportation.org.
Neutralize:
With some basic vehicle information, sites like terrapass.com and gocarbonzero.com will give you an estimate of the carbon dioxide your car produces. You can offset the damage by donating money to suggested ecofriendly projects.
AT WORK
Get rid of the excess:
Companies can stop receiving mails for former employees by visitingecologicalmail.org. For every former employee entered into the site's database, a company will avoid 100 pounds of waste in undeliverable mail. That's equivalent to one tree.
Pool your people:
Simple carpooling or ride-sharing can have a great impact when you consider that 78 percent of cars on the road carry only one person. Create a company car pool at erideshare.com.
E-cycle:
The EPA estimates that more than 2 million tons of electronic hardware ends up in landfills each year. Your company can recycle properly or donate old computers with the help of eiae.org and get information on ecofriendly replacements at epeat.net.
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Be Cool:
Cities across the country are making a pact to meet or beat Kyoto Protocol targets through community efforts. Visit coolcities.us to see how you can get your city involved.
Pay it forward:
Want to teach your community more about climate change? Find lectures in your are or apply to become a presenter at the climateproject.org.
Keep it local:
Most food travels 1,200 miles or more from the pasture to your plate. Buying locally saves fuel and helps farmers in your communioty. Web sites like localharvest.org and usda.gov provide lists of local farmers markets.
Text the next generation:
E-mail your kids and their friends a link to mtv.com/thinkmtv and have them sign up for daily green tips via text message. Each text suggests a samll way to makle a big difference.
What's your global warming IQ?
Test your self at xtra.Newsweek.com
(Source:NEWSWEEKMAG Leadership and the Environment by Jessica Ramirez) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 10:20 PM |
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| About Me |
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Name: infraternam meam
Home: Chicago, United States
About Me: I am now at the prime of my life
and have been married for the past 25 years.
Sickly at times, but wants to see the elixir vita,
so that I will be able to see my grandchildren from my two boys.
See my complete profile
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