How to Help Save the Environment

With global warming and fluctuating energy costs, many of us struggle with how to go green and the cost that can be associated with it. There are many low cost and easy ways to both save the environment and save money at the same time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Turn off lights and unplug items you're not using. Cell phone chargers pull electricity even when your phone isn't charging. Stereo systems and DVD players can do the same thing. Porch lights with burnt out bulbs still pull power unless the switch is in the "Off" position.
2. Lower the setting on your water heater to 120 degrees, and wrap the furnace in an insulated blanket. You can use a child's swimming noodle to wrap some of the pipes. Cut a line down the noodle and push it over the pipe.
3. Unplug the treadmill and walk outside instead. The treadmill pulls a lot of electricity, so unplug it whenever possible. Lowering your energy usage helps save the environment by reducing the amount of chemicals power plants release into the air.
4. Recycle everything you possibly can. There's so much that's recyclable now. Check your local waste department to see what you can recycle curbside. Ask where you can drop off batteries, ink cartridges and florescent light bulbs.
5. Stop your junk mail. Write to: Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, 11 West 42nd St., PO Box 3861, New York, NY 10163-3861. If you receive unwanted magazines or catalogs, this can save on paper consumption. Saving paper means saving trees, and trees are important for our environment. They absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
6. Use rechargeable batteries. These are more environmentally friendly, and they save on production gases for new batteries. Most people still don't recycle their old batteries, and these hazardous chemicals make it into landfills and contaminate water and soil.

Tips & Warnings

• There are many more way to help save the environment. You can ask for more ideas at the local recycling center, your utility companies and local news stations.