How to get carbon neutral

and Jan Kidwell

The good news among all the gloom and doom is that you can easily be carbon neutral by making an annual contribution to a carbon offset program such as the Climate Trust, which funds projects and programs that reduce carbon dioxide in the environment. It's easy-go to www.CarbonCounter.org and calculate the tons of carbon dioxide emitted by your household, then sign up for a monthly or annual contribution to fund measures that will neutralize your carbon output. You might even want to make an extra donation for your clueless neighbors. If you don't have access to the Web, call 503-238-1915.

But burning fossil fuels produces more than just CO2. We all need to drastically reduce our energy consumption of all forms. Good news there, too! We've put together a list of steps you can take, many of which don't cost much.

1. Drive smart. A well-tuned car with properly inflated tires burns less gasoline-cutting pollution and saving you money at the pump. If you have two cars, drive the one with better gas mileage whenever possible. Better yet, skip the drive and take public transit, walk, or bicycle.

2. Write your leaders now. Urge them to use existing technology to raise fuel economy standards to 40 miles per gallon. It's the biggest single step we can take to curb global warming. Taking this step would also save nearly 4 million barrels of oil a day. And by saving gas, you save nearly $2,000 at the pump over the life of your car.

3. Support clean, renewable energy. Renewable energy solutions, such as wind and solar power, can reduce our reliance on coal-burning power plants, the largest source of global warming pollution in the United States. Call your local utility and sign up for renewable energy (LADWP 800-473-3652). If they don't offer it, ask them why not?

4. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Especially those that burn the longest each day. Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use about a quarter of the electricity and last 10 times as long.

5. Save energy at home. It's good for the environment and for your wallet. Start with caulking and weather-stripping on doorways and windows. Then adjust your thermostat and start saving. For each degree you lower your thermostat in the winter, you can cut your energy bills by 3 percent. (See this page for air conditioning savings tips.) To save heating bills see www.socalgas.com. Finally, ask your utility company to do a free energy audit of your home to show you how to save even more.

6. Become a smart water consumer. Install low-flow showerheads and faucets and you'll use half the water without decreasing performance. Then turn your hot water heater down to 120ºF and see hot-water costs go down by as much as 50 percent.

7. Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances. Replacing an old refrigerator or an air conditioner with an energy-efficient model will save you money on your electricity bill and cut global warming pollution. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances or visit their website at www.energystar.gov to find the most energy-efficient products. Check out www.ladwp.com for rebates or call 1-800-246-0441 for free pick up service, or check your own city's website for home appliance rebates. For Edison, go to www.sce.com and click on Residential programs, then on Rebates.

8. Plant a tree, protect a forest. Protecting forests is a big step on the road to curbing global warming. Trees 'breathe in' carbon dioxide. And you can take action in your own backyard-planting shade trees around your house will absorb CO2 and slash your summer air-conditioning bills. Call LADWP to have FREE shade trees delivered to your house (800-473-3652).

9. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70 to 90 percent of the energy and pollution, including CO2, that would result if the product came from virgin materials. Recycling a stack of newspapers only 4 feet high will save a good-sized tree. Please buy recycled products.

10. Mount a local campaign against global warming. Educate your community about how it can cut global warming pollution. Support measures at the national, state, and local level that: make automobiles go further on a gallon of gas; accelerate the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind; increase energy efficiency and conservation; and preserve forests around the world.

11. Buy less. Consumerism is a pattern of behavior that contributes to the destruction of our environment, personal financial health, and the common good of individuals and human institutions. See www.verdant.net for info on how to reduce consumerism.

12. Install solar panels on your roof.

13. Get connected! Sign up for regular updates from the Sierra Club's global warming action network-www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/e-newsletter/.

14. Join the postcard campaign to the U.S. Senate to demand action on global warming. Click on the website www.sierraclub.org to get 20 postcards sent to you free.

15. Educate your business, church and school about how they can save money and the planet at the same time. Get your company to become carbon neutral by using the services of the Climate Neutral Network (www.climateneutral.com).

Other ways to save energy and money at home:

Ó Don't use a dishwasher, or if you do, air-dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.

Ó Buy a front-loading washing machine, wash only full loads on warm or cold setting.

Ó Dry clothes on a clothesline.

Ó Thoroughly clean the coils on your refrigerator and air conditioner twice a year.

Ó Defrost your refrigerator regularly and set temperature to 38-42 degrees, freezer at 0-5 degrees.

Ó Regularly replace the filters on your air conditioner.

Ó Use clean shiny aluminum reflectors under your stove burners.

Ó Turn your computer off when not in use, never use a screen saver, set it to go blank after a few minutes of nonuse.

Ó Turn off lights when not needed.

Ó Don't heat or cool unused rooms.

Ó Close the drapes or blinds at night in the winter to keep the heat in.

Source: www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming

Jim Stewart, Ph.D., is organizing director of Earth Day L.A. Jan Kidwell is chair of the Chapter's Air Quality, Global Warming & Energy Committee.