- For information on the effects of food on climate, click here.
- Buy local, organic produce. The petroleum-intensive pesticides, fertilizers, and transportation often result in a large environmental footprint for conventionally grown and transported produce.
- Eat low on the food chain. Meat production tends to be far more resource-intensive than the production of plant foods. In fact, the average American diet results in an extra 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over a vegetarian diet. Even going vegeterian one day each week can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions significantly. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )
- For non-dimming fixtures, replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs or even more efficient LED bulbs.
- Buy non-toxic products that are made of recycled materials and that can biodegrade or by recycled when you are done using them.
- Buy products with as little packaging as possible, avoiding "overpackaged" products. Purchase foods and other products in bulk when possible.
- Recycle whenever you can. Reducing your CO2 emissions by only 10% will cut your CO2 emissions by about 1,200 pounds per year. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )
- Buy 100% recycled paper. Carbon dioxide is stored in living plants, and using recycled fiber requires less energy for production than using trees. This will reduce your CO2 emissions by about 5 pounds for every ream of 100% recycled paper you use. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )
- Purchase energy-efficient appliances, vehicles, and other equipment.
- Buy alternative energy.
- When building or renovating your home or office, be sure to take advantage of daylighting, passive solar design, energy-efficient windows and doors, and greener energy.
- Use energy-efficient lighting, such as LED and compact fluorescent bulbs. By replacing three incandescent bulbs that you use often, you could reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 300 pounds annually. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )
- Turn off your lights and equipment when you are not using them.
- Plug electronics into power strips that you can turn off easily. When you leave electronics plugged into a wall socket, they continue to use energy (known as the "phantom load") - even when they are turned off.
- Turn your thermostat up 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and down 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. This can reduce your CO2 emissions by about 2,000 pounds. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )
- Be sure to fill your dishwasher - rather than doing a partial load - before doing dishes. This can reduce your CO2 emissions by 100 pounds annually. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )
- Set your water heater to no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to reduce your CO2 emissions. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp ?
- Insulate your water heater to reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 1,000 pounds per year. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )
- Encourage your mayor to sign the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement.
- Take the Energy Star Pledge.
Travel
- Telecommute when possible.
- Replace business travel with videoconferencing. Several web sites enable videoconferencing. Some, like ooVoo, are free and only require you to download software. ooVoo allows up to six users to be on a videoconference simultaneoulsy. A few videoconferencing systems are listed below:
"Aethra: X-Line series (Italy)
- When travel is necessary, offset your carbon emissions with Native Energy, TerraPass , or another organization.
- Check your tires each month to be sure that they are inflated properly. Properly inflated tires increase your vehicle's fuel efficiency and can reduce your annual CO2 emissions by 250 pounds. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )
- Check your vehicle's air filter each month, and change it when it's dirty. This can reduce your annual CO2 emissions by 800 pounds. (source: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/carboncalculator.asp )