Reducing Energy Use at Home

Here are a few steps you can take to help save money and the planet:

• Buy a Centameter and watch your carbon footprint in real-time. This makes it easy to see what a difference one lightbulb makes!
• Use fluorescent light bulbs: They last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use about 75% less energy. In fact, they can make such a difference, don't wait until your incandescent bulbs burn out. Replace them now!
• Turn the heat down before going to bed and going to work: Lowering the thermostat 10-15 degrees for 8 hours/day can reduce your heating bills by 10% per year
• Turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms

Low-Carbon Transportation Tips

Here are a few steps you can take to help save money and the planet:

• Fly direct.
• Use public transportation
• Ride a bicycle
• Limit use of your car

Low-Carbon Electronics

We like shiny new gadgets just like the next person. But, there are still some steps you can take!

• Buy Energystar Electronics
• Go Open-source
• Recycle
• Use A Laptop: Laptops use 50 65 watts of energy, desktops 270 watts, making them 80% more efficient. Finally, a reason to buy that shiny new low-carbon laptop.

Reducing Your Food's Carbon Footprint

Here are a few steps you can take to help save money and the planet:

• Buy local: Shipping food grown elsewhere can substantially increase its contribution to global warming. Go local AND boost your community’s economy.
• Join a food co-op. Community-supported agriculture is fun and a great way to get in touch with great-tasting, seasonal food.
• Bring your own grocery bags: Cut down on emissions created from bags’ production and waste disposal
• Eat less meat: Cattle produce up to 33% of agricultural emissions; grain production and transportation, water allocation and consumption, and deforestation resulting from the meat industry account for 25% of human-created CO₂
• Drink tap water: Bottling water wastes energy.