What are ten, easy things I can do to "go green" and reduce my carbon footprint on the earth?

Question

All the answers are good! I can't pick a favorite... thank you all so much! I'll keep working on trying to find the best answer. :)

Answer 1

Reduse! Reuse! Recycle!

AND DON'T p**s OFF CPT. PLANET

Answer 2

turn off your lights, walk to your destination, get a hybrid car, switch to ethanol blended gasoline, switch to solar energy.

Answer 3

Change to eco bulbs

Recycle all the waste you can

Use reusable bags for shopping

Take the bus, train or cycle when you can (as opposed to car)

Turn off the lights when you leave a room

Don't use paper serviettes or towels at home

Use cold water for your clothes wash

Shower instead of bath

Don't litter

Buy locally grown produce where possible

Grow your own veggies

Start a compost bin

Plant a tree or pay some company to plant one for you

Limit air travel

Don't have more than a couple of children (or none at all)

Don't use disposable nappies if you do have children

Turn off appliances at the source (not with remote)

Be a picky consumer and don't buy products with excess packaging.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Recycle, reduce, reuse

Eat less meat

Use the cold water cycle

Turn off the heat drying on the dishwasher

Use a clothesline instead of a dryer

Use reusable bags at the grocery instead of paper or plastic

Set your water heater thermostat lower

Get a programable thermostate and don't heat/cool when no one's home

Unplug appliances when they're not in use

Turn off lights and fans when you leave the room

Answer 5

recylce,reuse items,reduce water,shop organically,just be careful!

Answer 6

Recycle

Use canvas bag to grocery shop

Use vinegar and water as cleaning solution

Use a push lawn mover

Have a compost pile in your garden

Turn off lights when leaving a room

Lower the heat a few degrees

Do not run air conditioning when house is empty

Take shorter showers

Save rain water for watering your garden

Answer 7

Turn water off while brushing your teeth, dont use disposable products including water in bottles, use washer and dryer at night, use fans instead of AC for as long as you can, wear layers in the winter instead of keeping the heat up high, walk whenever you can instead of driving or you can carpool.

Answer 8

First, quit drinking the Kool-Aid that Al Gore and many others are handing you, without questioning the (political) science behind it all.  Then, start thinking for yourself.  Then start researching this issue before you ask questions.  Then stop using such liberal BS buzzwords like carbon footprint (makes you sound like you are leaving a slime-trail wherever you go.)  This alone can help you on your way.

Answer 9

First I want to say thank you, there arnt enough people out there doing this. =]

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3915

http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php

http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/

http://www.ivillage.com/green

Answer 10

1) turn off and unplug electrical things in your home when not in use...

2) walk instead of driving...

3) car pool to work ...

4) bag lunch instead of fast food....

5) buy local produce from the farmers market instead of trucked in produce (saves gas and supports local farmers)

6) Don't buy bottled water use a water purifier and a carry bottle

7) recycle

8) Bring your own reusable canvas grocery sac instead of getting the paper/plastic from the store

9) use pyrex instead of microwavable plastic containers (they cause cancer and are eventually tossed because of stains)

10) trade out unwanted stuff to those in need...www.freecycle.com.....or try paperbackswap.com

Answer 11

recycle, take the bus, turn electrical things off you are not using, dont make smoke, turn your tap off, that is all i know

Answer 12

Junk, I don't see her asking for political opinions.

These people all have really good solid suggestions to not only reduce her carbon footprint, but to also live more sustainably in general.

She's not trying to organise a political coup or anything!

What have people like you got against someone trying to live their own life more responsibly/sustainably? What's your real agenda?

Great suggestions everyone.

Answer 13

Here are a couple more not yet mentioned:

When you buy anything, ask yourself if it's renewable, reusable, and degradable or recycleable.  What is going to happen to it after you use it?  For instance, disposable razors are a poor choice enviromentally, but razor blades and a metal holder are reusable and recycleable.  Most plastics are not recyclable, and even when they are, they become landfill after a few uses.

Compost.  I've heard it estimated that 40% of household trash is food that can be composted.  I put a compost bin outside my house and it's no trouble to put things there instead of a land fill, and then i get to use it around my garden.

Plant trees.  In fact, plant, period.  Each person uses many trees worth of products every year, and many of these trees are not replanted.  Deforestation contributes a lot to global warming, because trees provide CO2 that helps protect the ozone.  Planting trees or giving money to charities that do helps replace some of these trees.  Also, anything that you can plant in the way of food, is that much less that has to be transported to a store, and transported to your home using fossil fuel.  Even if you are an apartment dweller you can at least grow herbs on the windowsill.  It also helps keep you in touch with the earth and growing things... i think it's good for the soul.  :)

Answer 14

try www.treehugger.com  that is a good website that has all the info you need for living green etc.

Answer 15

Go solar

Recycle

Don't waste Water

Use paper bag in store and keep them for next purchase

Do not print the page until you have to

Do not use the Plastic use the glass instead

Pay all your bill online

buy saving energy lamps

Smog check your car

Answer 16

tell algore to shut down his house, move into a smaller house, stop riding in limos, and stop taking private jets.

Answer 17

1. Carpool when possible, try out the public transit in your city or buy a hybrid.

2. Donate time or money to organizations that help protect the earth (WWF for example).

3. Recycle everything you can.

4. Avoid using paper when possible (i.e. cancel your newspaper subscription and try reading it on line or watching the news on TV).

5. Sell back books after you have read them and try to buy used.

6. Don't leave the water running when you brush your teeth.

7. Turn off the AC and open the windows on nice days.

8. Turn off lights when you don't need them.

9. Buy appliances and home improvement products with an energy star rating.

10. Buy cloth bags to carry groceries in.

Earth Day is April 22nd! Be sure to appreciate the earth God has given you! We only get one. :)

Answer 18

umm...turn off taps, have baths insted of showers, recycle, get reusable plastic bags lol ... just little things i can thing of...ill add to this if i think of any more! =)

Answer 19

here try this website

Answer 20

Read this article from HGTV Green Home. It has lots of ideas to go green. Give this article to anyone you know that owns a home.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/green_home_2008...

Answer 21

1. buy locally grown foods instead of imported

2. walk or take public transit instead of driving

3. drink out of a reusable water bottle instead of drinking bottled drinks

4. turn lights of when they aren't being used

5. replace light bulbs with flouresent lights

6. run your dishwasher after 9pm (electricity rates are lower)

7. don't leave your computer on all the time, and when you aren't using it turn the monitor off

8. bring reusable bags for shopping (most grocery stores will give a discount if you bring your own bags)

9. try cutting down on your meat and dairy consumption or even go vegetarian

10. replace your regular shower heads with low flow shower heads

Answer 22

Recycle

Reuse

Reduce

don't use alot of electicaty

ride a bike then a car

don't use can spray

don't f**t a lot lmao

plant a tree

change your light bulbs to floursent or something

And love Earth

Answer 23

My husband and I used to have two cars to get around - and we decided to sell one and eventually buy another one.  Now we are getting by just fine with one!  We catch rides with our friends when we can and we carpool to work.  It's not always convenient - especially because we're from Albuquerque so mass transit is really not that great out here.  This may not apply to you - but I think more people should consider narrowing down the amount of cars they have.