25 Ways To Help Save the Planet

The following suggestions can help us do our part for the environment without a whole lot of effort.
1. Use a programmable thermostat. This way you won't waste energy heating and cooling your home while you are aay. If you go one step further and turn the thermostat down two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer, you'll keep nearly 880 pounds of carbon dioxide from warming the earth.
2. Be judicious about washing clothes. Standard washing machines use about 40 gallons of water per load. Try and save a load every week, by using only full loads and if you wash in cold water, you save even more energy.
3. Clean the lint filter in the dryer. A dirty lint filter can use 30 percent more energy to get the work done.
4. Use laptops instead of desktops. A laptop computer uses about half the energy of a desktop counterpart. Using a model with the federal government's Energy Star rating can use 70 percent less energy than a noncertified model.
5. Put the stop on unwanted junkmail. If everyone in the United States reduced the junk mail he receives every week, 100 million trees would be spared each week. Check the web for sites to stop receiving the pre-approved credit card offers and unsolicited catalogues.
6. In many states, you can opt to purchase renewable energy from your local power company for a few extra dollars a month. Visit the Green Power Network's U.S. map to get started.
7. Turn off the tap in the bathroom. The average faucet releases about three gallons of water per minute. Why not shut it off while you brush your teeth or shave?
8. Use a water filter pitcher to replace bottled water.
9. Install faucet aerators and high-efficiency showerheads to save between 1,000 and 8,000 gallons of water a year.
10. Skip red meat once a week. Meat production is extremely resource-intensive. If you alone gave up red meat once every seven days, you would save the 840 gallons of fresh water it takes to produce a single serving. Why not make an omelet for dinner once a week?
11. Clean up your dishwasher by switching to a biodegradable and plant-based dishwashing powder. They work without the bleach and phosphates that threaten river and marine life.
12. Choose the right appliance for the job. Electric kettles use less energy than stovetop ones. A toaster oven uses up to half the energy of a conventional electric oven. Slow cookers use less wattage than a stove.
13. Donate old cell phones to benefit charities. Otherwise their waste can include potentially hazardous materials such as lead and mercury.
14. Recycle wisely to save more energy.
15. Reuse everything. Think before you throw things away. Might someone else appreciate the gift of a sweater you are sick of wearing? And Fido doesn't know the difference between a new chew toy and one you make yourself from old dish towels.
16. Shut down you car engine if you are idling for any length of time. It burns more gas than it takes to restart your engine.
17. Tune up your driving habits. Fast accelerations and hard braking waste gas. Tuning up your car can raise its efficiency from 4 to 40 perent.
18. Buy recycled napkins. If every American bought one package of 100 percent recycled napkins, we would save 1 million trees. While you are at it, why not include recycled paper towels and tissues, too.
19. Purchase organic-cotton tees. Cotton is the second-most chemically sprayed crop in America. Each traditional tee requires a third pound of synthetic fertilizer.
20. Choose biodegradable cat litter. Most cat litter is made from bentonite clay which is mined and never breaks down. Americans dump 2 million tons of this into landfills every year. Try a biodegradable flushable brand.
21. Buy local foods. Many of the foods we eat have traveled over 1,000 miles. Instead, find a food stand or local market and buy locally grown produce. This conserves fuel, reduces pollution and the food will be fresher.
22. Bring your own bags to the market. In an average year, American households use about 100 billion plastic bags, 99 percent of which are never recycled.
23. Choose the right fish. Buy wild caught salmon.
24. Shop wisely to avoid overpackaged items. Choose concentrates, and skip the plastic bags for every vegetable. Let the lemons and cucumbers roll around the basket. Download music.
25. Carry a water bottle with you. Buy a reusable water bottle that fits your lifestyle and maybe even into your purse! Americans use 3.3 million plastic bottles every HOUR, but recycle only one in five!

Kathy Reets - Co-Founder and Owner