According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, the two biggest offenders in the global warming problem are cars and power plants. In particular, coal-burning power plants are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide pollution, producing 2.3 billion tons every year. Cars, the second largest source, are responsible for generating almost 1.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. Carbon dioxide and other air pollution collect in the atmosphere and trap heat from the sun causing the planet to warm up.
The good news is we don't have to wait for technical solutions to reduce the impact of these big offenders. Solutions exist now to allow us to reduce our dependence on power plants and use cleaner transportation options. We just have to start using them. Here are 12 simple ways to do your part to start making a difference now. By saving energy, you’ll also save money.
(Note: According to the EPA, a typical U.S. household generates 45,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year.)
1. Change Five Lights
Replace your five most frequently used lights or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the Energy Star and you’ll use less energy, which means less pollution from power plants. Your household will also be saving about 700 pounds of carbon dioxide a year and save $90 a year in energy costs (If every household in the country did it -- we would save a trillion pounds of greenhouse gases.) Take the
"Change a Light Pledge" and change at least one light in your home.
2. Heat and Cool Smartly
About half the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. Changing air filters annually, having your system checked annually and useing a programmable thermostat are all easy things you can do. Just by using a programmable thermostat, you can save about 1,800
pounds of carbon dioxide a year and about $100 a year in energy costs. If you want to go the extra mile, see "Bonus Tips" below for how to purchase green power.
3. Put the Freeze on Inefficient Appliances
Get rid of old, energy inefficient appliances and replace with newer energy-efficient models. For example a high-efficiency refrigerator will save you $100 per year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 500 pounds a year.
If you replace your current washing machine with a low-energy, low-water-use machine you will be able to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 440 pounds per year. For even more savings wash your laundry in warm or cold water, instead of hot. That will bring in a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of about 500 pounds per year.
4. Reduce and Recycle
Reducing your garbage by 25 percent will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,000 pounds per year. Recycle aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic, cardboard and newspapers can reduce your home's carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds per year.
5. Don't Give Energy Away
If you caulk and weather-strip around doors and windows to plug up leaks you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,700 pounds per year.
6. Take the Green Way
Leave your car at home two days a week (walk, bike, take public transit or telecommute) and you can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds per year.
7. Buy Products That Have Earned the Energy Star
Over 40 different kind of products now carry the Energy Star -- the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency -- including lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances. With Energy Star products you can save 30 percent on your energy bills (about $450 a year). For information on high efficiency appliances and other products, visit the Energy Star Web site (
www.energystar.gov).
8. Slow the Flow
When purchasing a new vehicle, consider finding a car that gets more miles to the gallon than your current vehicle, and match the vehicle to your needs. The potential carbon dioxide reduction for a car that gets 32 miles per gallon is 5,600 pounds per year. To get more information about finding and buying a fuel-efficient car visit
AOL Autos.
9. Make the Right Move
If you spend hours on the road every day to get to work you could save some significant time and money by moving closer to work and reducing your commute. The carbon dioxide emissions you save are icing on the cake.
10. Be a Turnoff
Turn off your TV, video player, stereo and computer when you aren't using them. Turn off your lights when you don't need them and you start saving within a minute or two. Prevent "phantom" energy losses by plugging these devices into a power strip and turning the power strip off when the devices are not in use.
11. Trim Your Load
When you do drive, keep your car tuned up and its tires properly inflated to save on fuel costs as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions. A tune-up could boost your miles per gallon anywhere from four to 40 percent; a new air filter could get you 10 percent more miles per gallon. Take your roof rack off your car when you aren't using it for more savings.
12. Keep Your Water Heater Cozy
For a water heater more than five years old, wrapping it in an insulating jacket will result in a 1,000 pounds per year reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 degrees F and you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 550 pounds per year.
BONUS TIPS
Buy Carbon Offsets: You can purchase carbon offsets from various companies, who invest your money in clean energy projects, industrial efficiency projects or planting trees. See this post in the Down to Earth blog about going carbon neutral.
SOURCES: NRDC, Keepwintercool.org, World Wildlife Fund and this EPA Web site:
"What You Can Do," Environmental Protection Agency Web Site. Accessed Oct. 22, 2006. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/index.html 
