Living Green: Top Ten Ways to Lower your Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is a measure of how much carbon gas (greenhouse gas) is emitted into the environment. Studies show that these types of carbon emissions have a potentially negative impact on the environment, contributing to global warming and climate change.

Most of us would like to do the right thing for the environment, but how do you go about lowering your carbon footprint? Here are the top ten things you can do to "go green" and lower your carbon footprint:

1) Become more energy efficient at home. This is easier than you think, and it starts at home. Besides your car, your home is one of the biggest consumers of energy, and thus one of the biggest producers of carbon gas.
Use the ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick to compare your home's energy efficiency to similar homes across the country and get recommendations for energy-saving home improvements from Energy Star. Visit the Energy Star website at www.energystar[dot]gov to use the Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick to complete your audit.
2) Add more insulation. Additional insulation is one of the top things you can do to make a home more energy efficient. Insulation protects against air loss (heat and air conditioning), and will not only make your home more comfortable, but will save money on energy bills!
3) Use energy efficient appliances. Newer, more modern appliances are being designed with energy efficiency in mind to lessen the harmful effects on the environment. If your appliances are more than ten years old, consider upgrading them to Energy Star rated models.
4) Replace your windows with double pane, low-E glass. Windows are an expensive home upgrade, for sure, but over time, having good, well-insulated windows is one of the best ways to make your home more energy efficient.
5) Change your driving habits. One of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions are our cars! Consider ways you can change your driving habits, such as using shared transportation, carpooling, using public transit, or driving a more fuel-efficient or hybrid vehicle. Even consider walking or biking to work.
6) Eat less beef. This may surprise you, but eating less beef is one of the best ways you can lower your carbon footprint. Raising cattle is a costly venture. And, cattle produce a lot of methane gas. Plus, you won't have as much carbon caused by transporting beef to the grocery stores for consumption. And you might not have thought of this, but land is sometimes cleared of trees in order to create grazing land for cattle. Trees are important in reducing greenhouse gas.
7) Pay attention to water conservation. Think about how you use water, and look for opportunities to conserve it. For example, only run the dishwasher when it's full. Consider installing a low-flow shower head. In your yard, use drip-irrigation or thoughtfully designed landscaping that minimizes water consumption, such as using drought-tolerant plants.
8) Buy and shop locally. Think about your shopping choices. Purchase products that have minimal packaging, and only buy food and produce that is in season. Transporting out-of-season fruit, for example, can be very expensive. The more fuel that is burned in transport, the more carbon emissions.
9) Take some simple steps to lower energy consumption. Think about the easy things you can do right now to lower energy consumption. For example, replace standard light bulbs and use compact fluorescent light bulbs instead. Unplug any unused appliances that could be drawing a current when they are not in use.
10) Recycle and reuse. This includes recycling in the traditional sense, as well as composting, re-using shopping bags, and not purchasing new when something can be reclaimed such as scrap lumber or wood that can be turned into a new flooring material, for example.

In summary, it really isn't hard to make some choices to have a more energy efficient, eco-friendly lifestyle. You can make a difference and lower your carbon footprint simply by making a few important lifestyle choices. Buy living green, you will feel better, live more comfortably, and you'll be doing the right thing for the environment!

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