Throwing away electronics like computers, laptops, monitors, phones, printers, etc. contributes to the millions of pounds of electronic waste cluttering our environment. When electronics are thrown away, our earth is exposed to toxic materials such as lead and mercury. Take your equipment to an electronics recycler like PC Recycler, Inc. They have commercial and residential services. Find out about how residents can recycle here: http://www.pcrecycler.net/drop.htm .

Always have a canvas bag in your vehicle - use it for your daily errands - Those canvas bags only hold so much...so you only purchase so much - no more purchases on a whim

I would like to try and dispel the myth of "natural" vs "man made" chemicals. Both pyrethrin and rotenone can be used in Organic farming and are both, persistant, highly toxic and non specific. Also, they are both produced overseas and therefore I would not consider them to be sustainable.

put dish detergent in a pump dispenser and dilute with water (50/50 is a good mix). Fewer suds works as well or better, and requires less water to rinse. saves money too!

Get a home energy audit. Hire an audit company to take a thermal camera (IR sensing) and look behind your walls and ceilings. They will be able to pinpoint where you are losing conditioned air. They should also be able to prefrom a blower test to makesure that your duct work isn't leaking. If your heating and cooling bills are more than $150.00 a month you should seriously consider this!

An easy way to reduce the volume in our landfills is to leave the caps off plastic bottles. Ideally, we should be recycling plastics but as a rule leave the tops off. When you screw the lid back on to an empty plastic bottle you are making it virtually impossible for the bottle to crush in a landfill. You are basically making a hollow plastic 'brick'. When we remove the lid we allow the bottle to be crushed thus compacting it.

Once a week, (Tuesday's for us), my husband and I make a pact that any food we eat on that day will not have travelled more than 100 miles to get to us. We head over to the nearest farmers market and can buy lovely produce, eggs, meat, breads, and more. It is a great way to support local farmers and the environment. Check out fairfax county government's website for Northern Virginia Farmers Market.

Fast Food restaurants should stop giving childrens toys with their kids meals. The children open them up, play for about 1 minute and then it's either thrown away or ends up in the attic. If they must give something they could offer a discount if they decide against a toy.

Go Solar and be the Difference. Protect yourself from rising utility cost and blackouts. Decrease your carbon footprint and help protect the environment. Find out more from a company locally based out of Herndon VA called GreenBrilliance.com, leaders in PV systems and solar HOT water systems etc...

In addition to turning off stoves before cooking is done, turn off your oven early; residual heat will finish cooking your food.

Toss delicates or quick-dry items in the dryer for less time and hang up heavy cottons, blankets, jeans and other clothes that take longer to dry. You can toss the latter in the dryer for just a few minutes if they are stiff from air drying. Use settingswith sensors that stop the dryer when clothes are dry to avoid wasting hot air.

Whenever possible take the stairs instead of an elevator! It will save energy and may also be good for your heart. Most of us can walk up or down two or three flights of stairs faster than the elevator can take us.

When I go to restaurants I forgo the plastic straws in my glass. I am perfectly fine drinking out of a glass at home, why not in a restaurant too? Can you imagine the zillions of straws that would save from going into the landfill?

Slower speeds save gas. Ease up on the pedal to ease up at the pump!

We consistently refuse bags for fewer items that we can carry.

Most women and men these days wash and dry and style their hair every day, so why not skip a day and go without all those electric hair stylying appliances and women could learn to create a hair style with ornate and stylish hair accessories. Hairdressors can certainly showed women and men how to braid, twist, use appropriate hair products, hair accessories and style their hair; all they need to do is ask. It's understandable that some people have very oily hair and would want to wash and dry every day, but going one day with a little oil slick shouldn't be that bad and just think how much electricity would be saved not drying or using any electric appliances for styling hair!

Replace oil with Hemp bio fuels already. 75% reduction in exhausts, wont interfere with food crops, readily renewable resource that is easy on the land...Hemp seeds are one of natures purest forms of protein, and contain Omega oils naturally without animal content. Health is wealth.

u should really take short showers 2 improve our earth and make it greener!!!!!!

We no longer buy wrappping paper for any occasion or holiday. We sew bags for all occasions and use/reuse them instead. This saves money and paper waste.

Compact florescent lights are not the answer...LED is , the best alternative to incandescent and halogen lights as well as florescent lights, the Light Emitting Diode or LED. Being used now to retrofit commercial lights and saving 90-95% of the energy costs over halogen and incandescent lights and 40-50% over the compact florescent lights without the dangerouse disposal problem. Plus they last much longer while costing less to run. One company offers a "Forever Warranty" so the LED can be the last light bulb you have to purchase. Plus besides being green they burn cool so you do not have to cool the air heated by hot burning lights in a building that you are trying to cool with expensive air conditioning helping to cut energy use. One other thing, if you do not need to replace them then less time and money is spent on changing the bulbs in hard to reach places, like parking lots and 2 and 3 story fixtures . One other thing LED's do not have the poisonous gases and materials to worry about spreading around the world like when the compact florescent lights burn out. LED is the cool light of the 21st century.

the small rolls of paper used for calculators can be used on both sides. Just re roll it as it's being used and put the opposite side back through when you get to the end of the roll.

Did you know your toilet uses a gallon of water on average every time you flush it? On older toilets, you can use up to five gallons of water every time you flush. If you put a water bottle in the tank on top, you can reduce the ammount of water you waste by a liter, or more!

A sofa (or chair) really can have nine lives. Mom loved plaid but you have the same sofa in cool microsuede. No sofa in landfill, you save cash, reupholsters are local merchants, and you have a new sofa

Now that summers almost hear its a good time to install a few rain barrels at the bottom of your gutters. When full just add a few drops of bleach every week (this takes care of any mosquito larvae) untill ready to use in your garden. You recycle AND reuse your rain water in your garden or lawn.

I use plastic shopping bags as litter bags in my car and to dispose of used cat litter.

Instead of changing your air fliter on your car monthly, you could also extend the life of the airfilter by taking compressed air and cleaning out the dirt. Not only do you save 800lbs of carbon dioxide and $130 per year, but also you are not adding to million tons of solid waste in the landfills per year.

It burns me up that restaurants and stores keep the temperatures so cold, and yet leave their doors wide open. Complain to the managers! This is so wasteful!

beef cattle use up much more land than planting grains directly (for food or biofuels). Fuel for all, go vegan!

don't throw cooking oil into the sink or toilett, it will go back to our drinking water source no matter what. The proper way of disposing cooking oil after use is: to put it in a bottle and trash it like regular garbage.

There are a ton of local Community Supported Agricultural Farms where you get fresh from the field locally grown veggies weekly for a one time membership fee. Plus you can usually go to the farm and help out to make your share cheaper. That is great for kids too.

I cut my 400,000 BTU gas heater loose and put a solar cover on my pool. Then I took a long black garden hose and coiled it on the pool deck and put one end in the skimmer return hole and the other in the pool. Fill the hose with water so that air doesnot get into the motor. Put the other end into the pool to draw from. NICE

The clothes dryer is one of the biggest appliance in your house. Cleaning your clothes dryer vent will save energy and make your dryer much more efficient. Dryer time should be no longer than 55 min.

CLEANING YOUR CLOTHES DRYER VENT WILL SAVE ON YOUR ELECTRIC ENERGY. THE DRYER IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST APPLIANCE IN YOUR HOME.IT WILL ALSO ALLOW GAS DRYER TO WORK MORE EFFICIENT

Keep some plastic shopping bags (from what you already have) in your car for when you forget your cloth/mesh reusable ones, and recycle them only after they're unusable. And if you forget both kinds, do without for that trip--you'll learn fast!

Don't mow part of your yard; let the clover, weeds, and "volunteer" plants run rampant in that area. The wildlife will love it. Rabbits will build ground-level nests and munch on grass and groundcovers; birds will eat seeds and nest in the dense foliage that is bound to come up; earthworms and other soil-building creatures will thrive below the surface.

Check out the veg-friendly restaurants at www.vegdc.com. On average, a vegan meal uses substantially less land, fossil fuels, and water than one with meat and/or dairy.

My favorite GREEN business in Leesburg called The Mailstop recycles packing materials. You can bring your bubble wrap and peanuts there. They also offer a document shredding service and the shredded documents get recycled!!!! They even use biodegradable packing peanuts!!! They are a new GREEN business in Leesbur VA.

Go Vegan. Not only is it cheaper but is better for the environment. A vegetarian diet reduces the destruction of tropical rainforests, wildlife habitat, and help to save endangered species! Rainforests are vital to life on earth - they regulate the global climate and the water cycle, absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and provide humans with medicines, food, and much more. Sadly, rainforests are cut down to make room to raise cattle. Every second, one football field of rainforest is destroyed in order to produce 257 hamburgers

For every toxic product there is a safe alternative available. A number of conscientious companies are now offering household products that are safer and more natural. There really is no reason to risk your health or the health of your loved ones. www.advancefromhomewithus.com

MOM's buys a 100% wind power to offset the energy used by each store, we help to clean up our local rivers and educate the community on green initiatives. All 5 stores (local to Maryland for 20 years) carries a huge selection of earth-conscious household products, and all-organic produce. Stores in Rockville, Columbia East, Frederick, and College Park, MD and Alexandria, Va. See our website for more info and store events: myorganicmarket.com Thanks for going green!

I also recycle those cardboard tubes that are left over when i'm out of toilet paper... who'd of thought.

Are you a receptionist?? Get the mail every day with that thick rubber band around it?? Rubber! Ahh! And why do we need so many of them? All that happens is they get thrown away. SOLUTION: Bag them, (sadly I use Zip Lock - not very friendly) When the bag is full, I put "please recycle" and place them right back in the mailbox. Every time - the mail man/woman takes it! What a great way to not trash so many rubber bands.

Breaking is probably the worse kind of waste. It negates the fuel used to reach that speed and it requires the driver to spend more fuel to again reach the speed after breaking. Most of all, it causes chain reaction of other cars to break and multiplesthe waste as long as someone is breaking. Tailgaters break much frequently and their action magnifies and cause a string of others to waste fuel.

We waste hundreds of gallons of fresh water through our gutters and downspouts every time it rains. Instead of channeling it into our sewer system every time it rains, try a rainbarrel. The water is perfect for keeping gardens and lawns green between showers. It's simple, effective, takes no effort and helps to save one of our non-renewable natural resources.

Call your elected officials and demand that they support alternative forms of energy. They must provide incentives for the alternate forms of energy we need. Only with their support and backing will we develop alternative energy in a timely manner. Call,email or visit your elected officials now and demand action.

In addition to using reusable grocery bags, save up all those rubber bands that hold the lids on deli containers and use them next time you go to the store. Or bring a pile and ask the store to reuse them. I know Whole Foods will do so.

Most electric hot water heaters are set at 150-175F. They also have two thermostats. Set the thermostats to about 110. Turn on the hot water and never was time mixing cold nor wasting hot again. Also install a timer and only heat the water for 6 hours from 5 till 11:00pm. The water stays hot enough for laundry the new water heaters are well insulated. I have 5 in my family is works well.

You can visit www.ecologyfund.com daily to save land for free.

I not only have a water saving shower head but, it has a toggle switch to interrupt the flow of water. You can wet yourself down quickly and turn off the water while you lather up. I can wash my hair and soap up the bod without running the water until I'm ready to rinse. Saves many, many gallons of water each week!

What ever happened to the clothes line?...i save $5/week not using a dryer and utilizing a clothes line. Thanks

Don't top off your gas tank. It can release harmful vapors into the air, as well as damage the station's storage tanks and your car.

Encourage your coworkers and bosses to recycle, turn off computers & lights when not in use, and take other steps to reduce energy and waste. You can become a climate champion for your office! Tell management it's good for business and will save money to get organization buy-in. Offices use more energy than homes; it's the most important place to go green

Do not throw away plant pots and trays. Recycle them at your local garden center. Good Earth Garden Market, Potomac , MD

When ever having a party try to buy in keg form. It is cheaper, the keg gets reused.

Remember LED Lights last 60,000 to 70,000 Hours over CFL at only 10,000 hrs. LED cost more yes but use less and last 6 to 7 times longer so if you compare the cost they are cheaper and easier on the environment, LED = No Mercury!!!

http://www.myfootprint.org/

These can be washed and reused. the freezer bags work best and we do this often when buying fresh foods in bulk. We divide the food into serving sizes and freeze them accordingly.

Paper gift bags are great but here's another idea. Pick up some remnants at your local fabric store or recycle torn clothes and make bags from them. Use string, cloth ribbon, or left over trim for the ties. My sister-in-law and I do this and we now have a large enough collection we can trade them back and forth. This is especially hndy for X-MAS. We pick up a yard or two post holiday when it is on sale.

Junk mail accounts for up to 90% of mail deliver to almost everyone in this country. How many gallons of gas does it take to move this bulk? Ban Junk mail and you could take up to 90% of the mail vehicles off the road.

If I know ahead of time I am going to a restaurant, I take my own tupperware for the leftovers. Not only does it seal much better than the styrofoam clamshells, but it saves another take out box from going into the landfill!

Instead of using paper napkins consider using cloth napkins and wash them when they're dirty ~ you'll save a ton of trees that way!

When you run the water in your shower or sink to get to the warm stuff, collect the cold water in a bucket or bottle. Use the water for anything you need water for including watering your plants or even flushing your toilet.

beamingsun.com (Frederick, MD) offers a eco-friendly USB Ecostrip power surge protector for computers that eliminates all "phantom load" leaking electricity to peripherals when the computer is shut off. Saves money, energy, and the environment. Moreinfo at www.beamaingsun.com.

Slow down when driving. Everyone seems to be in a hurry!! The faster you go the more gas you use. The more wear and tear on your car

When shaving plug the sink. After first shave stroke rinse off razor and use the runoff water in sink for the rest of the rinses.

Switch your home to solar power without spending $20-$60k. You can be your own power generator and save money to keep. WWW.GLENBURNIESOLAR.COM

Replace all your light switches with smart switches - you set your lights to a maximum brightness of 90% which your eyes cant even tell the difference you save 10% on energy and increase the life of your lightbulbs....

Do not throw packing materials in the trash. Put it in the attic to contribute to insulating the house.

Collect rain water for gardening. www.aquabarrel.com is right here in MD!

If you have a laptop, unplug it until the battery starts draining. That way you'll save up more energy.

In LaPlata, Maryland, there is a store called Esco Limited. It is a vintage and antique store and it is completely green. The owner recycles everything - even furniture that she refurnishes herself and then sells in her store. Nothing is wasted or thrown away and she always finds a use for items that the owner can't sell. She sells almost anything you need - beautiful, handmade jewelry, lamps, linens, quilts, furniture, seasonal items, etc.

I just upgraded my Sedan to a FlexFuel minivan. Flexfuel is much more environmentally sound than regular gasoline. Right now there are only few FlexFuel-carrying stations, mostly BP. But if enough of us guys buy FlexFuel the sellers will shift to that power source. Flex cars can run on both regu lar gasoline and ethanol 85 (E85).

It has been said here before, but it bears repeating- Save gas by not running your car when you are not moving! Waiting for a friend to come out after you blow the horn? Turn off your car! Fasten seat belts, check the kids, adjust your mirrors, THEN turn on the car. Don't run your car when it is not moving!!

Feed organic dog biscuits and dog food, support eco-friendly agriculture!

CFL bulbs save energy yes but have mercury. LED Light Bulbs last longer use less power and are mercury free!!

An easy and powerful way to make a positive difference is to call your Senators & Representatives in Congress and demand an increase in fuel economy for cars, SUVs, and trucks. The only way to reduce global warming and reduce gas prices is to lower the demand for gasoline. Increasing fuel efficiency will lower demand and have an immediate impact on reduce gas prices and reducing pollution. Thanks!

I usually follow this one only at night - "If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down :)".

I bought used furniture from someone on Craigslist, and to keep the pieces from jostling in transport I bagged up leaves to use as packing material instead of bubble wrap. It worked great! I plan to do this when shipping holiday gifts.

Americans can cut down on the amount of oil imported by changing the oil in their cars and trucks based on the manufacturer's recommendations, usually half as often as the oil changing service companies say to. Read the owners manual. Most manuals recommend 7000 to 8000 miles between changes for normal use. 3000 miles between changes is not necessary. Use synthetic oil if you are concerned about waiting longer between changes.

In the morning, place frozen items in the fridge to thaw. This transfers the energy invested in freezing them to the fridge, making the fridge not have to "work" as hard to keep things cool that day, and makes your dinner take less energy to cook in the evening. A win-win!

Recently you gave advice about how to save water. You said that is it best to water plants at night. In reality, it is best to water plants before sun up. In this way you conserve water by allowing it to soak in and the plants to take some up. In this area especially, you also avoid fungal diseases that can develop if you water the plants at night. Thank you

Much water is wasted while waiting for the shower water to get warm enough to step in--about two gallons. I put a bucket under the shower head to catch it until it warms up and use it to water plants or fill the birdbath.

My friends and I are skateboarders. We "go green by skating clean." Sometimes we just take trash bags with us while we're skating around and pick up trash. It doesn't take that much time to clean up a street. We're organizing a "Skate Clean" event in the spring. So if you're a skater, spread the world!

Why wrap your dog's waste up for the next 1000 years? Use a newspaper as your dog gets into position. It will never hit your neighbors grass. It's free, easy, and bio-degradable.

Most stovetops stay hot for almost a minute after the power is turned off. Turn off the stove just before food is done.

Be conscientious about the power use of alternative products you%u2019re considering. Flat-panel TVs that use LCD technology, for example, use about half the power that a Plasma of similar size uses. All that power use turns into heat in your living space, making the A/C run that much harder in the summer. Save money, save the planet: conscientious consumption.

Axe the old notion of "conspicuous consumption." What's conspicuous anymore is consumption that effectively forces the environmental impacts of porr choices on the rest of us. Instead, be conscientious about each and every purchase. First, this may reduce the things bought needlessly -- reuse old stuff, or do without. Second, it should help choices to be more sensible for broader impacts. Last, the conscientiousness may become conspicuous among other in our society, amking it the modern conspicuousness we can all be rightly proud of!

Folks, This is an update to my 1st note on getting rid of the free newspapers. I requested to be dropped from the Loudoun Times-Mirror circulation and they complied. Folks just need to email circulation@timespapers.com and ask them to stop delivery. I emailed Leesburg Today at circulation@leesburgtoday.com but they have not complied yet. These papers had a lot of paper waste into the county %u2013 the Times-Mirror also adds plastic (bag) waste. Much info is summarized by the Worldwatch Institute at this page %uF0E0 http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1497 Most people just don%u2019t think about this issue or don%u2019t think they can do anything to help. They can. Please help to spread the word. -dominic laiti Hamilton, VA

I recieve 4 free newspapers each week. Most of the time they go straight into the recycling bin. Many folks I know do the same. This is a TOTAL waste of resources - many trees. I say we all call up these publications and DEMAND that they take us off their lists - - better yet DEMAND that they do to a subscription based business plan instead of trying to force the general public into acknowledging their dead trees. Besides, they only use the circulation numbers to get more advertisers.

I read somewhere that running heat and A/C uses a lot of gas so I tested the idea out on a road trip (and this was last Nov. when we went to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving ;-) I didn't use my HVAC the entire trip back and the gas savings was huge: I went from 27 MPG to close to 35 MPG. So, open the windows, sing out loud with 94.7 The Globe, let people know you enjoy the experience of saving gas!

Really, people, in Europe they don't even have the @#$% things. Get out of your car and walk into the store unless you are handicapped, have a kid in a car seat (even then, a good way to model green behavior ;-)

Have cell phone manufactures standardize the chargers. We seem to throw out chargers each time we get a phone. I would think that if you stay within the same manufacturer we don't need a new charger every time.

aiso.net web hosting is 100% solar powered.

I have started to use a large bucket to catch the RINSE water from our washer. I use it to water potted plants and outdoors too. Washers use an amazing amount of water. The plants seem to like it too. Takes some effort, but well worth it.

Over 80% of trips of under 3 miles are made by car in this country. For trips and errands under 1/2 mile, walk, and for trips under two miles use a bike whenever possible and safe. You'll save energy/cut your carbon footprint and be more fit! Not safeto walk or bike? Tell you local officials you want sidewalks or bike lanes that will make local travel safe.

We as individuals can only do so much to conserve energy. How about an entire industry trying to conserve energy? Auto racing for example; do you need an Indy 500 and a Daytona 500? Why not have shorter races? Why not have fewer races? This would save more gas than me not idling my engine for 20 seconds.

Print documents on both sides of your paper. Before you recycle a piece of paper with print on one side, use the other side. Use the clean side to print out personal items like shopping receipts, rough drafts, emails, banking statements, home work assignments or just use the clean side as scratch paper. Then once your paper is printed on both sides us it as packing material for packages, painting guards, or mess prevention. Then feel free to recycle the paper!

Don't use compact fluroscent light bulbs. They contain harmful amounts of mercury which will be dispersed into the air and water if the ulbs are accidentally broken, like if you drop it or throw it in the landfill

Save time and heated water by using a spray on conditioner, Pantene makes one. Also consider a shorter hair cut and a stlye that can be air dried. Can we possibly break the daily shampoo habit? Try shampooing every other day. It's catching on.

That litle red or green light that stays on after you turn your T.V./ Computer etc. may not seen like much but it actually wastes more energy than you think! Turn it off!!

Did you know that reducing carbon emissions from those coal fired power plants that powers much of the DC area is as easy as changing a light bulb? It's true! Simply convert to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFBs) and you'll reduce carbon emissions from your home electrical use by about 33%. CFBs will also correspondingly reduce your electrical costs about 33%. With CFBs, you'll also find yourself changing light bulbs a lot less as CFBs last 5 to 7 times longer than regular bulbs. Reduce your carbon footprint; buy CFBs! Just about all hardware and merchandise stores carry CFBs; prices due vary.

If you work in an office, ask your company to start a paper recycling program, and appeal to your co-workers to pitch in. Keep in mind that you can reduce paper waste in half by printing double-sided. Also, look into participating in a printer ink/toner cartridge recycling program. Staples offers one where you send in your used cartridges in provided postage-paid envelopes and they automatically ship you a replacement. It's extremely convenient, and they also give you a discount off the replacement cartridges. You save time, money, and the environment. Plus saving the company time and money might get you in good with your boss!

I recently replaced my electric attic fan with a solar powered one. It works great and pays for itself.I also bought a solatube to bring in natural light. Great products check it out at AMAZINGSKYLIGHTS.COM

if you see trash everywhere go home grab a bag and some gloves and pick up trash to help the enviroment!

Check into using renewable energy sources (I think the Globe uses Wind Power to supplement their transmitter. Good job, Globe.

Instead of driving your car everywhere, buy a motor scooter! They're lots of fun to ride, cost a lot less than a car (mine would have cost me $2800 new, but I got it used for less), and you'll save massive amounts on gas -- my scooter gets 90 miles per gallon! Plus it's a hoot to watch the faces of the other motorists when you fill up at the pump. Last time I was at the gas station, filling my tank cost me a whopping $2.42 -- and that was using premium!

Animals raised for food produce more greenhouse gases than all the cars in the United States combined. Eating a vegetarian or vegan diet saves tons of water too. Go veg for the environment, the animals and your health!

Organic produce is grown without putting dangerous chemicals into the ground. One good place I've found to shop is called MOM's or My Organic Market. All of their produce is organic, and their stores are run on wind power. I go to one in alexandria,but I think there are more in maryland. greg

When I%u2019m done reading magazines I drop them off at my barber, doctor, or dentist office. Eliminates trash and someone else gets to enjoy them.

Hello Looks good! Very useful, good stuff. Good resources here. Thanks much! G'night

Buy a plastic one gallon or less pitcher and mix up your favorite powdered drink, 4c makes a low sugar decaf iced tea in a 53 ounce container which I use, instead of bottled or canned soda.

Instead of running the car and the air conditioning while waiting for someone or something, turn the car off and go in the building or turn it off and sit in the shade. Be thoughful about your car's emissions and keep them to a minimum.

It has been proven by multiple studies that regular soap is just as effective as anti-bacterial soap. Anti-bacterial soap is much more damaging to the water/fish, etc. Per an article from the Environmental Working Group (nonprofit environmental research org in DC ) "The common antibacterial ingredient, triclosan, repeatedly has been shown to cause health and environmental problems and is found in hundreds of everyday products, including deodorants, toothpastes, cosmetics, plastics, fabrics and nearly half of all commercial soaps. A primary problem with triclosan is its potential to bring about antibiotic resistance. It also produces dioxin, a highly carcinogenic endocrine-disrupting compound."

Check out this web site http://www.raysapoint.com/plastics.html

Much of bottled watered is bottled tap water. It requires large amounts of energy to transport, it costs energy to recycle plastic, and many bags/bottles are not recycled - those take hundreds of years to disinegrate. As far as bottled water goes, it is MUCH better to use a filtered water pitcher (cheaper too). If you need to use plastic bottles re-use them - they wash easily in the dishwasher. Instead of plastic bags, take a canvas bag to the store - they hold A LOT. If you forget the canvas, try to keep the bags to a minimum. Consider using a smaller trash can in the kitchen to re-use the bags there instead of buying big plastic bags. It'll save money and it just means taking out the trash a little more frequently.

After the brewing is finished , put the coffee into a thermal carafe instead of leaving the coffeemaker on to keep the second or third cup hot.

shop at your local farmers market the vegetables are fresher than grocery stores and do not have to travel hundreds of miles to reach your home

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/GreenTeam/

Energy-saving light bulbs now come in all shapes and sizes. Choose as many or as few criteria with the click-boxes and this site will recommend bulbs that match.(with sources) Also includes a handy tool to calculate your electricity savings! http://www.environmentaldefense.org/page.cfm?tagID=632&campaign=mts

I Here's my idea about using used coffee grounds, I put them in a plastic gallon potting container and modify my garden soil that way, plus put in plant clippings, banana peels etc. Ran out of my fav potting soil - Sta-Green yesterday, and since I have a broken foot, couldn't go anywhere to get more soil. Got out my ammended soil and filled a container with it. Dirty dishes, save water by letting the dog of your life, lick the bowl clean, then put it in the DW. Duke my doberman does a great job! Linda

It may seem unusual, but by adding a brick to the water tank of your toilet can save gallons of water used to flush toilets. Today water efficient toilets are plentiful, but for those of us with giant water tanks on the back of the toilets, add a brick.

Got goose bumps? Speak to the manager or owner of any business you patronize that keeps their space excessively cold when the weather is hot. Politely relay that you are uncomfortable, and suggest that the business could improve customer comfort and their own profitability as well as conserving energy by bumping up the thermostat a couple of degrees. If you put on a jacket when you go indoors -- or wish you'd brought one along -- that might be a good opportunity to speak up.

Few people realize that homes and buildings are the largest contributors of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Eco-friendly design principles can do a great deal to combat this, and offer tremendous economic benefits over the lifespan of a home or building. The American Institute of Architects has an online resource with video case studies, FAQ for hiring an architect, contract info and a search tool to find an architect in your area. http://howdesignworks.aia.org/

disposable coffee cups cause an obscene amount of waste, not to mention how much nicer it is to drink from a "real" cup. invest in a set of mugs for you and your colleagues instead of drinking from paper or styrofoam. It's much more civilized, and a lot more green!

Recycling one aluminum cam saves enough energy to light an 100-watt bulb for 4 hours. Glass also takes a long time to decompose and is much better recycled than sent to a landfill. Have cats or small garbage cans? Recycle your grocery store bags by using them to scoop the litter box or lining small cans with them. Grocery stores also usually have a bag receptacle to recycle those bags. Look for your local FreeCycle group forum online - instead of sending unneeded clothes, furniture, or anything legal to the dump you can give it someone that needs it... you can also find all sorts of useful things for free!

It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone. The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a possible danger to contaminating ground water. The amount of water used per week to wash cloth diapers at home is about the same amount consumed by an adult flushing the toilet four or five times daily for a week.

If you are using flourescent lighting there is a 15 minute rule for when to turn off the light vs. leaving it on. It does take more energy to turn on a flourescent light but it is equivalent to only 5 seconds of the light being on consistently. The real energy loss is in the life of the light bulb. Each time you turn on the light you shorten the life expectancy of the bulb. A study was done recently which looked at energy conservation and found that if you did not need the light for greater then 15-20 minutes then turning it off did conserve energy and money. If on the other hand you are only leaving the room for a short period of time then leave the light on. More information at http://lightingdesignlab.com/articles/switching/switching_fluorexcent.htm

hey what ever happened to the clothes line??? also showering together is fun but NOT >>>>>NOT economical

Instead of ironing or steaming clothes (and using electricity to do so), I spray water on what I plan to wear the night before. By morning all the wrinkles have hung out. This obviously won't work for all fabrics but works amazingly well for cottons.

Give yourself a gasoline budget for the week...it can be a dollar amount or a milage amount. It doesn't really matter. Just by being mindful of your driving you will reduce the amount of gasoline you use.

Our communities set traffic lights so they interrupt the smooth flow of traffic, possibly in the name of safety. Cars waste costly, polluting gas idling at these lights, and accelerating from a light in 1st gear wastes much more. Protest to your rep about un-synchronized traffic lights; take off from lights slowly to conserve energy.

Most commuters work and live within 5 miles of another commuter. If everyone carpooled just one day a week travel times in the DC area would average 40 minutes instead of 1 hour. Do your part for the environment, save money on gas, and shorten your work day.

When you're waiting for your kids after school, turn off your engine, and inspire other parents to do the same. You'll be saving gas, money and the environment.

Our streets, streams and beaches are not ashtrays!!! It takes 15 years to decompose. For more information on Butt litter go to http://www.surfridersd.org/hotyb.php

Here's a link to 16 ways you can green your home: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=2121.

Instead of just chucking out the cup sleeve along with your empty Starbucks cup, take the sleeve off and at least put it in a recycle box. If it's not trashed, you can even use it for your next cup of coffee!

What is the logical thing to do if our vehicles are polluting our planet? As a global community, simply stop driving. Sounds rough I know. But think of all the farming that needs to be done anyhow. Until our technology is up with the times. Everyone could use a rest and open our eyes to many of our unnesessary jobs. Everyone could use a little exercise as well as we are all eating unhealthy and getting fat. What about your job to earn your money to pay for your house that you use your car to get to? Doesn't matter. Who's charging? The systems are in place and working fine. Stop thinking about your pocket book and start taking care of our BIOSPHERE.

According to Energy Probe, less energy ( and resulting global climate change emissions ) is required to power your electronic shaver than to pump fresh water from the nearest reservoir to your bathroom sink to wet your razor blade. Warm-water shaving is even worse. This article shows men and women how to go green with shaving. http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-06-02/goods_ecoholic.php

Call the catalog companies and ask to be taken off of their mailing lists.

Take reusable bags to the grocery store with you. Some stores give you a discout for bringing back the disposable kind. But a sturdy one that can be used over and over again, washed and and stashed in your trunk will reduce the need for all those plasticbags. If you don't have a reusable bag now, you can order one from here http://www.reusablebags.com/. See some stats on plastic bag use here also.

Unplug TVs when on vacation, and don't fall asleep with the TV on- use a timer so the TV automatically shuts off. Turn home computers off while at work and overnight.

Here are a few more tips on saving energy visit: http://www.energysavers.gov/

The Consumer Electronics Association, which represents national members like Sony, Microsoft, Dell, and more, launched www.myGreenElectronics.org as a place for consumers to view a catalogue of energy efficient electronics, places to recycle their old cell phones, computers, TVs, etc, a brand new energy use calculator, and more coming soon.

By using HD broadcasting technology, we increase the effectiveness of the limited broadcast spectrum. This allows efficency and reduces demand on this limited natural resourse.

Use a light colored shingle. It will reduce your A/C bill. Even better, use a metal roof and get a federal tax credit.

40% of the CO2 pollution in the summer is from 2-stroke motors which are used on most lawn equipment. There are no emission standards and no mufflers installed on these motors so when they burn oil with gasoline it is quite a toxic output. By using electric or battery powered equipment in place of the gas guzzling polluters we can greatly reduce the damage we are doing to this planet.

Notice the way bath towels are now the size of beach towels? Try going back to standard size bath towels. They don't fill a wash load as quickly - saving water. They dry faster, saving on gas or electric. And they'll still get you dry every day!

Listen to and promote Acoustic versions of your favorite music. those amps use a ton of electricity even when sitting idle.

Instead of standing in the shower letting gallons and gallons of water run directly down the drain while shaving your legs, try using an electric razor. Electric razors can be used almost anywhere at any time, and it takes less time.

First of all, try to avoid buying clothes that need to be dry cleaned. They are usually made of nast synthetic materials and too many toxic chemicals are used by dry cleaners -plus who has the time...Anyhow...You can save a lot of money on your electric bill and reduce energy usage if you dry most of your clothes on a drying rack or a retractable clothes line in your home. You will really benefit from this because your clothes will lose less fiber and their colors will remain vibrant, and they will last a whole lot longer.... Ladies, same thing for your hair...Professional stylists will tell you your hair should be at least 75% dry before you use the blow dryer. You'll have less split ends, your hair color will last longer and you'll be reducing power-plant emissions...Who knew being green could be so good for your hair and your wardrobe!

Spring is here and now that the ground has thawed some lucky people may be thinking about putting a new pool in the backyard... If you are one of these people who has reached this pinacle of the American dream, please consider getting a natural swimming pool. These are somewhere between a regular pool and a pond. They require much less maintainence, are cheaper to build, and do not use any of the harsh chemicals. They rely only on a simple pump system and can even be solar powered. Natural swimming pools look great as a landscape feature and offer more adventure and interaction with nature for children. Natural pools support the local ecosystem and it's not neccessary to wear goggles since the water is clear and clean. This method of pool construction has even been used for some public swimming pools in Europe and has been available there for well over a decade. You can learn more from books at your local library or searching on google.

Invest in a few high quality water bottles from your local camping goods store and bring your own filtered water from home with you to drink throughout the day. This way you will not be buying a product that expends too much energy on production and distribution and uses non-renewable resource in packaging... This way all those water bottles won't end up in a landfill (and even if you were gonna recycle them, all the energy expended in the process would be saved) Plus you will save a lot of money. We are really lucky to have access to clean water from the tap when there are millions of people around the world who have to walk for miles just to get water that is usually unsafe. Let's stop being so overindulgent and wasteful and make use of what we already have, that's what going green is all about!

Light Tape, So you say you wanna go GREEN, well here is a very good way to save Mega-Energy on your Electric Bill. Light Tape, Now here is the Big Scoop about this Product, its not Hot to the touch, Which means No-Child could burn themselves, and I have not met any one yet in my life{so-far} who has not accidentally bumped up agaisnt a Hot Lamp. Plus there is no Glass to Break, like other Light Sorces. It has a Neon Type Glow to it, comes on several colors, Way-User Friendly. Check it out, will use 80% less power than Conventional Lighting. Would that help us all on our Energy Costs, and output? I Think So. Plus the Applications are endless, you use it for Safety, Home Work, Cars, Motorcycles, Bicycles, Boats, Airplanes, Roadways, Street Signs, to light up Truobled areas, etc........ Peace MoJo

Paint a room with dark walls a brighter color to bring in the natural light and use less artificial lighting.

http://www.dailymail.com/story/Business/2007040249/Ten-items-are-among-products-that-help-planet/

It saves water and it's fun!

An easy way to save gas is to reduce the amount of time your car sits at idle in your driveway or parking lot. Letting your engine idle for more than 20 seconds wastes more gas than it would take to turn it off and restart it. Turn off your engine when waiting to pick people up at their home or work or doing errands. Cars only need about 20 seconds to warm up in normal weather so there is no need to leave your car idling for longer than that when leaving for work in the morning or coming home at night. This will save you money, help us conserve gas and reduce air pollution.

All sorts of over-the-counter and prescription drugs are ending up in our water. Please dispose of these properly through your pharmacist. Also, use fewer meds by using non-polluting medical treatments like acupuncture.

At the store, if you can carry items to the checkout without a bag, you do not need a bag to leave the store.

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