Quick Tips on Living a Greener Lifestyle

In the last few years, we have heard much about "going green." Whether wanting to use fewer resources to save money, help the environment, or both, many people are trying to live a "greener" lifestyle. The following tips offer a few ideas on how to reduce your impact on the environment.

1. Replace your light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. According to Energy Star, these use 75% less electricity than incandescent bulbs and last about 10 times longer.

2. Landscape using drought-tolerant plants. Xeriscaping is a term for the use of plants that can thrive with little to no watering. There are many beautiful drought-tolerant plants available, from flowers to trees to exotic-looking cacti and succulents.

3. Walk or bike more often. On fair-weather days, why not enjoy a brisk walk to your destination instead of driving? In addition to reducing your use of fossil fuels, this is a great way to get more exercise and enjoy the fresh air.

4. Recycle. Many materials-- paper, cardboard, cans, plastics, and glass-- can be recycled into new products.

5. Reduce the resources you consume. Bringing a reusable canvas bag to the grocery store instead of using disposable grocery sacks can reduce the waste of energy and natural resources. We often grab a wad of paper towels when we make a small mess, but the environmental impact of those paper towels adds up; they're made from trees, will take up space in a landfill, and required fossil fuels to be manufactured and transported to you. Using a reusable cloth for messes is better for the environment, even though it requires some water to wash it. Of course, moderation is the key. If you need to clean up a very disgusting mess, you might choose to use paper towels, but it's helpful to be aware of your use and choose reusable cloths whenever possible.

6. Compost vegetable scraps and grass clippings. Vegetable matter can be easily composted instead of occupying space in landfills. Composting will help the environment as well as give you rich, organic matter to add to your garden.

7. Register a website with a .eco extension when it comes available. The concept behind the establishment of this new dot eco top level domain, is that Dot Eco LLC will donate over 50% of domain registration proceeds back to fund scientific initiatives and research in climate change, ocean analysis, economic policy, and other environmentally-related areas. Also, remember to host your website with a green hosting company.

These are just a few easy tips that can help one to live a "greener" lifestyle. This is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century, whether to ensure that we have fuel left for tomorrow or to preserve the natural wonders of the Earth.