10 Simple Ways to Be Green...Every Day

Once again Earth Day is approaching. Wednesday, April 22nd people will plant trees, remember to recycle, ride their bike, and maybe even volunteer to pick up trash along the river. We’re all busy, and instead of making a grand gesture make a commitment to do just a few little things…it can make a big difference! 1. Change a Light Bulb Installing a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) is the quickest, easiest way to save energy -- and money. Replace one 75-watt incandescent bulb with a 25-watt CFL and save up to $83 over the life of the bulb. 2. Unplug Things That Glow Anything that glows even after you turn it off continues to draw power (that you pay for). Unplug the offenders from wall sockets and plug them into power strips and when you leave a room, flip the strip switch to cut the flow of electricity. Unplug appliances and electronics that glow and you could save $200 a year. 3. Recycle Your Electronics Check out www.MyGreenElectronics.org to help find a recycling resource in your area. The site also provides a list of electronics, from laptops to baby monitors, that are easier on the environment and your energy bill. 4. Audit Your Energy Investing in a home audit takes a couple of hours and pays off with a list of things you can do to curb consumption. Find an auditor through your utility company (at low or no cost), or hire one. A list of auditors certified by the nonprofit Residential Energy Services Network, is at resnet.us (click on Consumer Information). On average, an energy audit shows how to save up to 30 percent on utility bills. 5. Support Local Farmers Typical grocery store produce travels nearly 1,500 miles before it ends up on your plate. All this traveling burns fossil fuels and results in carbon emissions -- a fancy term for pollution. Buying from local farmers means you're not only getting the freshest food possible, you're saving energy. 6. Fix That Drip A dripping faucet can waste up to 74 gallons a day, a leaking toilet up to 200 gallons a day. Repair a leaky toilet and you can save $30 a year or about 73,000 gallons. 7. Let Your Grass Grow Save money by letting grass clippings remain on your lawn; it adds nitrogen to the soil and discourages weed seeds from germinating. You'll need less fertilizer and herbicide. Plus, leaving clippings on lawns means less in landfills; in 2005 Americans disposed of more than 12 million tons of yard waste. 8. Look for the Label When it's time to replace a household appliance, choose a product with an Energy Star label. Energy Star labels guarantee that products are energy-efficient. You may even be eligible for a tax credit when you purchase an Energy Star product. A household with Energy Star products uses about 30 percent less energy than the average household -- an annual savings of about $570. 9. Do Full Loads Combining half-loads of clothes or dishes, choosing short cycles, and using cold or warm rather than hot water in your washing machine can rack up savings. Wash two fewer loads of clothes and one fewer load of dishes a week and save up to 4,500 gallons of water a year. 10. Work the Critters Your backyard ecosystem is as intricate as any wild patch of land, and it pays in many ways to enlist its creatures on your side. Birds eat many insects; they just need a water source and trees and shrubs for cover and nesting. Many insects are beautiful -- and beneficial. Ladybugs aren't just cute; they are voracious eaters of aphids. To understand which backyard insects are garden friends, visit garden.org and click on Pest Control Library for photos.

Tell us the little steps you take to be greener. Happy Earth Day!