TEN SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT
Ten Simple Ways to Help the Environment
By Travis Mamone

Global warming is nothing new.  Reports of our climate’s rapid fluctuations have been in
circulation since the early 1990s.  But with Hurricane Katrina and Al Gore’s
documentary An Inconvenient Truth, the environment is now a hot button issue for
politicians and citizens.  By now we have all heard reports about melting polar icecaps,
rising sea levels, and so forth.  But what can we do?  What is this “going green” thing
that everyone’s talking about?  Do we have to live in trees like Julia Butterfly Hill?

Not at all. StopGlobalWarming.org offers simple ways to reduce the amount of carbon
dioxide we produce each day.  The website claims that these steps will benefit not only
the environment, but also our wallets.  Below is a sample of simple ways to help the
environment.

    1.        Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs.  
    According to StopGlobalWarming.org, replacing three light bulbs that are
    frequently used with fluorescent bulbs saves 300 lbs. of carbon and $600 dollars
    a year.

    2.        Check your tire pressure monthly.  Having your tires inflated properly will,
    according to the website, save 250 lbs. of carbon a year.  “If everyone in the
    United States did it,” StopGlobalWarming.org says, “gasoline use nationwide will
    come down 2 percent.”

    3.        Only run the dishwasher if you have a full load.  If you use a low setting to
    dry the dishes instead of using heat, you can save 200 lbs. of carbon and $40 a
    year, according to the website.

    4.        When cutting grass, use a push mower instead of a power mower.  
    According to StopGlobalWarming.org, this can save up to 80 lbs. of carbon
    dioxide and $35 a year.

    5.        Turn off appliances that aren’t in use.  Unplugging them will save even
    more energy, according to the website.

    6.        When it’s warm and sunny outside, hang your clothes out to dry.  This can
    save up to 700 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $75 a year, according to
    StopGlobalWarming.org.

    7.        Use both sides of the paper when printing or making copies.  According to
    the website, this can save 18 lbs. of carbon and $2.50 a year.

    8.        Plant a tree.  Trees absorb excess carbon dioxide and help purify our air.  
    According to StopGlobalWarming.org, doing so can save up to 5,000 lbs. of
    carbon per year.

    9.        Check your car’s air filter monthly.  Doing so can save up to 800 lbs. of
    carbon dioxide and $130 a year.

    10.        Use recycled paper.  According to StopGlobalWarming.org, “The paper
    industry is the third greatest contributor to global warming emissions.”  Using
    recycled paper can save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide for each ream of paper.

StopGlobalWarming.org also features a calculator that totals the amount of carbon
dioxide and money saved a year.  As the website shows, saving the environment isn’t
something that needs completely drastic changes, but simple things that we can all do
in our daily lives.
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