10 Simple Actions that Reduce Your Environmental Impact

There is a big difference between knowing how to live green and actually living green.  Being green isn't always easy and it isn't always cheap but the world you live in becomes a better place for your efforts."Greening" your own life starts with a single step.  If you are ready to take that first step then consider the following 10 simple actions that you can apply in your own life to reduce your impact on the environment.

1. Support local green businesses.  Do you have a local Co-op or Farmer's Market you could be shopping at?
2. Install Energy Star products such as compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or a Cool-N-Save(tm) Air Conditioning Pre-Cooling System.  Doing this can provide a 30-75% energy savings.
3. Always remember to check and maintain your tire pressure at least once a month.  Doing this can save you about $840 a year on gas and reduce approximately 250 lbs of carbon dioxide.
4. Add low-flow aerators to any sink you have that may have been manufactured before 1994.  In 1994 the government mandated that sinks could have no more then 2.2 gallons per minute of flow, before 1994 sinks could use between 3-4 gallons of water per minute.
5. Purchase green power from your electric company.  This reduces demand for fossil fuel based power.
6. Plant a tree.  Tree's offer shade and reduce CO2 from the environment.
7. Bring your own utensils into work - it's an easy way to avoid throwaway plastic ones.
8. Bring your own coffee mug to coffee shops - it's an easy way to avoid disposable coffee cups.
9. Reduce the amount of red meat you eat.  Why?  The production of animal-products has an expensive environmental cost, so the less you eat, the less the environment incurs.
10. Unplug power adapters, like your cell phone charger and MP3 player charger, when not in use.  These chargers use energy 24/7 even when your item is not charging.

While this is far from a comprehensive list I hope these tips help you become a bit more "green" in your own life.  As the world keeps getting bigger it's more and more important we each do our part.