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Step 1
Shop for locally produced food.
Many areas have a farmer's market or road side produce stands where you can buy directly from farms. Local food has a smaller carbon footprint since it is not shipped in from a great distance. It often stays fresher longer, leading to less food waste. For much produce, I've found by buying directly from the farmer costs the same or less than in the grocery store. -
Step 2
Fix those drafts.
If you home is drafty or poorly insulated, you are probably spending extra on heating and air conditioning. Look for where your house is losing the most heat (or cool air in the summer) and add more insulation to those areas. People wear hats when it gets very cold out because so much body heat is lost from the head. Likewise, your house can lose a lot of heat through the roof. So check that your roof or attic is properly insulated for your climate. Finally, when you replace windows, get double paned ones. The air trapped between the two layers of glass acts as an insulator. Each of these home improvement projects will reduce your energy needs, saving you cash and shrinking your carbon footprint. -
Step 3
Switch to compact florescent lights.
Compact florescent lights not only use less electricity, they also last longer. While they do cost more than incandescent bulbs, they last 8-15 times as long, saving you money in the long run. They also use only 20-33% of the energy an incandescent bulb uses, reducing your electricity bill. Even though they contain a little mercury, more mercury is actually released burning coal to power to fuel incandescent lights than the combined amount in the compact fluorescent bulb plus the coal burned to power it. -
Step 4
Buy quality instead of quantity.
Since quality items last longer, you'll have to replace them less often. This saves materials, energy, and even money over time. For example I got a high quality purse that I use every day. Although it cost between 4-6 times what I previously spent on purses, it has already lasted longer (3 plus years) than those 4-6 cheap purses combined. And it still looks great. Since it was an "investment piece," I got one of the purses I liked best, so I still love it and I take better care of it.
Keep in mind, though, a higher price tag does not necessarily mean better quality. Check out the Consumer Reports magazine for unbiased reviews and testing of many products. For appliances, look for ones that get great reviews and have the energy star rating (indicating lower energy use). -
Step 5
Do some fix-it projects.
Don't just toss something when it breaks or is damaged. Take a few minutes to assess whether you can fix it. Repairing things saves the energy and material of creating a new one. Keeping a tube of superglue on hand is often a lot cheaper than replacing all the items you can fix with it. -
Step 6
Host a clothing swap.
Clothing swaps are a great way to clean out your closet of clothes you no longer wear, fill it back up with new items, and do so in an environmentally friendly way. Just invite a bunch of friends over who are in the same size range and have everyone bring clothes they don't wear anymore. Take turns picking out and trying on clothes. Purse, belts, and other accessories also great to bring to a swap. You can donate leftover clothes that are in good condition to a local charity or a Goodwill shop. -
Step 7
Skip the fads and trends.
Buying into fads and trends results in a home filled with out of style items that you'll want to replace. So buy items that are classic or are in your personal style, so you'll get full use out of them. This will save you cash as well as reduce your consumption, very climate-friendly. -
Step 8
Use your library.
Use your local public library to borrow books you'll probably only read once - it's free. Books require energy and trees to produce, so its environmentally friendly to visit the library. Of course buy your all-time favorite books that you'll read again and again. Many libraries also carry DVDs, videos, CDs, magazines, books on tape, and more.
If your library doesn't have a book you want, ask about inter-library loan. They might be able to get you the book from a neighboring library. -
Step 9
Avoid clutter.
Clutter is anything in your home that you do not truly need, use, or enjoy. Get rid of clutter by donating usable items to charities. In the future think through your purchases so you don't just buy more clutter, saving you money. This reduces your consumption, very climate-friendly, and makes your home more enjoyable. -
Step 10
Live the seasons.
Turn your thermostat down a few more degrees in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer. Try to keep the temperatures such that in the summer its comfortable to be in short-sleeves and in the winter you need to wear long sleeve shirts or even two layers. This will result in savings on your utility bills and save energy. -
Step 11
Grow a garden.
Gardening allows you to grow your own vegetables cheaply as well as being great exercise. An hour of working hard in your garden can burn 200-600 calories - and you don't have to pay a gym membership to do it. Since you are getting vegetables as locally as possible and you're not driving to a gym, your carbon footprint is smaller. -
Step 12
Bring reusable bags when you shop.
Energy and resources are used to create disposable bags and deliver them to your local stores. Bringing a reusable shopping bag reduces energy consumed, carbon dioxide released, and trash created. Many grocery store chains are now offering a few cents discount for bringing your own bags. I've picked up a few free bags at Earth Day events and from various retailers as a promotional gift. Need one more reason? They are easier and more comfortable to carry. -
Step 13
Limit your collections.
Its great to collect things and have a hobby. However too much stuff is just that, too much. So only collect one or two types of things and/or limit your collections to several excellent pieces only. You'll have less stuff to dust, be able to enjoy the items you like most, and be reducing your consumerism (good for both the environment and your wallet). Likewise, when you travel, bring back only one or two souvenirs that you really like and not tons of knick-knacks that you'll never use or particularly appreciate. -
Step 14
Start a compost pile or worm bin.
Once you got a compost pile or worm bin going, you'll never have to buy top soil again. You can mix compost or worm casting with regular soil to make potting soil. You can also add these to you garden as a natural fertilizer. By using your plant-based food scrap and yard waste, you'll reduce the amount of trash you produce. Since less trash has to be transported and less gardening soil and fertilizer has to be shipped, less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. -
Step 15
Clean out the dryer lint.
After every load of laundry you should always clean out the lint trap on your dryer. However, you lint trap doesn't catch all the lint - some gets stuck in the vent and the vent hose connected to the dryer. You need to clean out the vent and hose a couple times a year. This helps prevent dryer fires and helps your dryer run more efficiently. This means shorter drying times, saving you money on your electricity bill and saving energy. For even shorter drying times, consider investing in dryer balls which can shorten it by up to 25%. -
Step 16
Fix up the Fridge
Defrost your refrigerator whenever you have significant ice build-up on the coils. Also remove dust from the coils and the air vent. This increases your refrigerator's efficiency, saving electricity and money. -
Step 17
Find your own and share.
Examine your life for ways you can reduce your material and energy consumption and make these changes. Try some of the carbon footprint calculators linked at the bottom of this article to get more ideas. Share your ideas with others so we all can find new ways to shrink our carbon footprint. Adding your ideas in the article comments is a great way to start.
