The Environment is everyone's responsibility.

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Here are some things that you can do to reduce your environmental impact.

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Simple Things to Can Do Every Day:

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Use reusable shopping bags.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags. Four out of five grocery bags in the US are now plastic.

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Walk or bike to your mailbox - or your neighbor/school/store.

Car trips of under a mile add up to about 10 billion miles per year, according to the 2009 U.S. National Household Transportation Survey (NHTS). See EPA article.

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Stop idling your car, if weather permits.

On days when it is not super hot nor uncomfortably cold, open the windows in your car and enjoy the breeze. Try to avoid leaving your car parked with the engine running, as well.

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Bring your reusable cup to the coffee shop.

58 billion paper cups are thrown away (not recycled) every year together with 250 million tons of other garbage in the USA.

 

Combine multiple tasks and car trips.

Every time you jump in your car to run a quick errand, you are wasting time and fuel. Reduce your impact by planning ahead and cover multiple errands on a combined trip.

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Turn off the lights/computer/TV set.

Computers, TV's and Lights left on when not in use can account for 4-7% of your energy usage.

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Take advantage of the programmable thermostat in your home.

Stop  unnecessary cooling and heating during times you are absent from your home.

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Buy fruits and vegetable that are in season - and locally grown where possible.

Off-season foods from far away places travel hundreds or even thousands of miles with a much larger environmental impact.

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Reduce the amount of pre-packaged or heavily packaged food products.

Pre-packaged ready-to-go foods are mostly packed in plastics and have a huge impact on the environment and the local landfill.

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