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50 B. E. S. T. Green Things to Do Now
Select from this list those measures you find to be most affordable, and you can get off to an excellent start greening your lifestyle. Listed are approximate money savings and avoided environmental impacts based on CO2.
  1. Change your lightbulbs- use compact fluorescent bulbs (just 3 CFL bulbs will save 300 lbs of carbon dioxide; approx: $80.00 per year.)
  2. Adjust your thermostat down, 2 in winter up 2 in summer. (Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide; approx. $98 to $200 a year.)
  3. Check your waterheater; set it no higher than 120 degrees (Save 550 lbs of carbon dioxide and $30.)
  4. Take shorter showers, avoid full tub baths (350 lbs of carbon dioxide and save $99 a year).
  5. Install a low flow shower head; (700 lbs carbon dioxide; save $150 a year).
  6. Buy home products locally. (big savings on transportation costs; helps the local economy rather than sending profits away to mega-corporations)
  7. When you buy new appliances, try to buy Energy Star qualified models.
  8. Plant a tree... trees suck up carbon dioxide save 2,000 lbs of carbon dioxide.
  9. Insulate your water heater and save approx $40 a year.
  10. Unplug unused electronics (up to 1000 lbs; save approx $256 a year.)
  11. Turn off your computer when not in use.
  12. Air dry your clothes.... and save approx. $75 a year.
  13. Change out single pane to double pane windows (save 10,000 lbs of carbon dioxide; approx $436 a year.)
  14. Switch to a tankless water heater.(save approx $390 a year)
  15. Insulate your walls and ceilings (save 2,000 lbs; approx $245 a year).
  16. Replace old appliances… save hundreds of lbs of carbon dioxide  and hundreds of dollars.
  17. Buy minimally packaged goods could reduce your garbage by 10%. (Save 1200 lbs of carbon dioxide a year and $1000.)
  18. Fill the dishwasher before running (fight water waste and save approx $40 a year.)
  19. Install a programmable thermostat. (700 lbs carbon dioxide; save $150 a year).
  20. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner… saving 350 lbs of carbon dioxide a year; about $70 savings).
  21. Get a home energy audit… (save about 30% of energy bills; over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide a year depending on home size.)
  22. Recycle…. (one of the top performing environmental options! save 2400 lbs of carbon dioxide a year.)
  23. Recycle your organic waste (compost).
  24. Buy recycled paper products.
  25. Buy fresh instead of frozen… frozen food takes 10 times more energy to produce!
  26. Eat less red meat… methane is the 2nd most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale when they breathe.
  27. Support and buy at your local farmer’s market.
  28. Don’t leave an empty roof rack on your car… this can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 10%.
  29. Keep your tires inflated; improves gas mileage by 3%.
  30. Plant a bamboo fence.
  31. Use bamboo for floors, bowls, cutting boards, etc.
  32. Unplug your electronics when you are not using them.
  33. Install drip irrigation in your landscaping.
  34. Use a lap top rather than a desktop it uses much less power.
  35. Buy shade grown coffee, and gold reusable filters.
  36. Install a ceiling fan to improve heat and cooling circulation.
  37. Repair your leaky indoor and outdoor faucets.
  38. Upgrade your toilet to a low flush model. (save about 1,200 gallons of water per year per toilet)
  39. Collect rainwater and use it for gardening.
  40. Buy low-VOC paint and donate the leftovers.
  41. Wash clothes in cold water; use biodegradable detergents that are manufactured for this use.
  42. Carpool when possible. Bike when possible. Walk when possible.
  43. Plant flowers and shrubs that are Xeric (avoid need for irrigation).
  44. Teach kids to be green by making them responsible for the recycling and match whatever they make in deposit.
  45. Refrigerators eat up the most electricity in the household. Maximize efficiency by keeping the freezer at 0F. Replace with Energy Star models
  46. When its time for a new car choose a more fuel efficient vehicle. Many new cars now offer greater than 30 MPG ratings.
  47. Bring cloth bags to market. Avoid plastic shopping bags.
  48. Join The Stop Global Warming Virtual March. This is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice.
  49. Fly less if possible or offset your travel by investing in renewable energy projects.
  50. Share this list, do as many things as you are able to do, and talk to everyone about our environment. Let’s make a better world for current and future generations together, one household at a time.
Revised from source: Santa Fe Green Realtors (2006)