I Resolve to be Greener This Year

Going on a diet, exercising, reading more, working less, spending more time with the family. All popular resolutions. As a Sierra Club member, I also am asking myself to make 2008 be a greener year. Here are 33 small changes you can make in your life that won't affect your routine drastically but that can make a big difference.

1. Make some small adjustments to your energy consumption. For example, using fluorescent bulbs can provide you the same light as normal bulbs but at a smaller cost because they use less energy. They also last longer.

2. Buy appliances that have the ENERGY STAR tag. ENERGY STAR is a government program that helps save and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

3. See if your city or county offers the option of renewable energy. Renewable energy is energy that comes from an unlimited power source such as wind and solar. It's also cleaner because the way it's produced doesn't release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. You can check if your state offers this energy at http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml.

4. Buy carbon credits to help support the production of green energy. Carbon credits are certificates that represent a reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The funds are used to cover the additional cost of producing this type of energy. You can find more info about carbon credits at http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml

5. Avoid keeping appliances in stand-by mode and turn off extra lights. Idle devices draw energy even when they are off and plugged in.

6. Run only full loads in your dishwasher or washing machine.

7. Keep your fridge door open only for as long as necessary.

8. Buy a low-flow shower head with a shutoff valve to replace the old showers.

9. Increase your thermostat by two degrees in the warmer months and decrease by two degrees in the colder months.

10. Keep your air conditioning filter clean and working properly.

11. If you wish to take a bigger step, opt for solar panels on the roof of your house; but remember to keep the waste of energy as low as possible.

12. Preserve your fresh water by closing the tap while you brush your teeth.

13. Take shorter showers.

14. Use the water from washing your vegetables to water your plants; collect rain water for the same purpose.

15. Put a brick in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water needed per flush.

16. Don't hose off your driveway: a good sweep will do it and won't use excess water.

17. Walk or bike instead of driving whenever you can.

18. Trade a gas-guzzling car for a more efficient one.

19. Don't leave your car idle while waiting for someone. The rule is very simple: whenever you're not using the car, turn it off.

20. Keep your car in good condition: malfunctioning or loose pieces can make your car burn more gas unnecessarily.

21. Buy at a local farmer's market instead of big grocery chains: the difference is that the produce that you find at the farmer's market traveled less, using much less gas in the process.

22. Trade regular food products for organic ones. The organic products are produced without the use of herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

23. Become vegetarian. One of the biggest emitters of CO2 are livestock farms where animals are confined to a limited space and release carbon dioxide by flatulence. It's not their fault but ours because we support the meat industry and thatis helping aggravate the global warming issue. If you can't resist the lure of meat, reserving one day a week without meat can make a small difference. Together we can make a significant difference.

24. Plant a tree.

25. Use environmentally friendly products in your house, such as natural cleaners.

26. Buy recyclable paper towels, toilet papers, use cloths instead of paper to clean.

27. When you travel, check if your hotel participate in a program called 'Check out for Nature'. In this program they'll add one Euro to your bill (converted into the currency's value) when you check out. This money will go to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to be used on conservation projects.

28. Teach your kids to recycle by using those yogurt or pudding plastic cups to make decorative pieces. Use cardboard to make photo collages to hang in their rooms. The importance is not creating a masterpiece of art, but doing a fun activity which kids take pleasure in doing and start developing environmental conscience.

29. Instead of buying bottled water, use a filtered container. It helps to avoid buying more plastic and produces less garbage.

30. Re-use or recycle your own paper products: use paper that is blank on the back, transform it into notepads, coloring sheets, bird cage lining, shopping lists, etc.

31. Buy products with as little wrapping as possible or with recyclable wrapping. If you're into crafts, you can buy fabric and make your own wrapping.

32. Reduce receiving of junk mail and save the energy used to produce, deliver and dispose of it by logging on to www.41punds.com. After paying a fee of $41.00, they take your name and the name of everyone in your household off of mailing lists for 5 years.

33. Check online for places near your house where you can take your CFL's and other recyclable materials at Earth 911: http://earth911.org. That works for everything you want to recycle.