10 Eco Tips from the Environmental Defense

Top 10 Simple Steps to Reduce Global Warming

  1. Action: Recycle (paper, plastic, metal, glass)
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 2400 lbs of carbon dioxide/year by recycling half of all household-generated waste
  2. Action: Wash clothes in warm/cold water (not hot)
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 100 pounds of carbon dioxide/year
  3. Action: Don't overheat or overcool rooms
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 200 lbs of carbon dioxide/year per household for every 2-degree reduction
  4. Action: Turn water heater down to 120 degrees
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 200 lbs of carbon dioxide/year for every 20-degree reduction
  5. Action: Buy CFL light bulbs
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 500 lbs of carbon dioxide/year for replacing home's most-used lights
  6. Action: Insulate walls and ceilings
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide/year
  7. Action: Use your most fuel-efficient car for short trips, less fuel-efficient car only when needed
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide/year by shifting 3,000 miles from a car that gets 24 mpg
  8. Action: Replace old appliances with energy-efficient models
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 600 lbs of carbon dioxide/year by replacing old a/c unit with Energy Star
  9. Action: Only run the dishwasher when full, don't use heat to dry dishes
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 100 lbs of carbon dioxide/year
  10. Action: Caulk and weather strip around doors and windows to plug air leaks
    Carbon dioxide reduction: 650 lbs of carbon dioxide/year

How to Cut Your Car Emissions

From The Environmental Defense

Tips for Cutting Automobile Emissions

We can all do more to cut global warming pollution from our cars

We can all do our part to reduce global warming pollution from our cars. It starts with buying the most fuel efficient car that meets your needs and fits your budget. We also encourage everyone to take advantage of alternative transportation options as much as possible.

Here are tips for reducing emissions with the car you already own.

On the road again—tips for driving

  • Lighten up! Carrying around an extra 100 pounds in your car reduces your fuel economy by up to two percent. Take with you only what you need and be sure to place luggage inside instead of in the trunk or on the roof to minimize drag and maximize your mileage.
  • Take it easy. Nine out of 10 doctors and engineers agree—aggressive driving wastes fuel, not to mention increases stress and accidents! Rapid acceleration and braking reduces gas mileage and can burn an extra 125 gallons of gas per year. Even if the person driving in front of you hasn't seen our tips list, hold your horsepower and keep your cool.
  • Keep it slow. In highway travel, exceeding the speed limit by a mere five mph results in an average fuel economy loss of six percent. You're not on the NASCAR circuit. This is commuting, not racing.
  • Don't be an American idle. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more gas and emits more global warming pollution than restarting your car! Also, the best way to warm up a car in winter months is to drive it. When the temperature is below freezing, give it 30 seconds—that's all you need.
  • Hot fun in the summer time. Air conditioning can decrease your fuel efficiency by as much as 12 percent in stop-and-go traffic, so consider cracking the windows. But at high speeds, driving with the windows open can decrease the overall efficiency of the vehicle. At higher speeds, you can use the vents to get a good air flow. On the hottest days keep your AC on low.

It's in the shop—car maintenance tips

  • Don't be tune deaf. Keeping your engine properly tuned can save you up to 165 gallons of gas per year. Checking spark plugs, oxygen sensors, air filters, hoses and belts are a few examples of maintenance that can result in potential savings of over $400. (Energy Information Administraion's U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices)
  • Keep up the pressure. Low tire pressure wastes over two million gallons of gasoline in the United States—every day! Save about a tank of gas a year by keeping your tires properly inflated. And make sure to have your tires correctly aligned to maximize fuel economy.
  • Go grease lightning. Thicker than required oil will reduce your gas mileage, because it takes more energy to push through thick oil than it does through thinner oil. Check your owner's manual for the recommended viscosity, and ask for it specifically when you get your oil changed.

Failing to plan is planning to fail—other tips for everyday drivers

  • Combine trips. Cutting a 20 mile trip out of your schedule each week can reduce your global warming pollution by more than 1,200 pounds a year and save you over $100 in gas expenses.
  • Telecommute once a week. If all commuters worked from home just one day a week, we could save 5.85 billion gallons of oil and cut over 65 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year.
  • Share a ride. Carpool and use public transportation when possible. If you share rides and use other means to get to work, you'll save yourself money, reduce congestion on the roads and cut your global warming pollution.
  • Just park it. And keep it there. If you're going to several stores in the same strip mall, don't move your car. Walk.
  • Gotta wear shades. In summer, park in the shade. Use windshield shades to keep summer heat from baking your car and to help keep frost away in the winter.
  • Move your feet. Walk, ride a bike or take the train when your car isn't needed.
  • Avoid the rush. Plan trips during off hours when fewer cars are clogging the roads.
  • Wholesale sales. Buy in bulk when shopping, instead of making frequent smaller trips.

How to Limit Junk Mail

How to stop or limit catalog mailings – Environmental Defense

To remove your name from most national catalog and other direct mailing lists:

Eliminate duplicate and undeliverable mailings

If you receive multiple mailings for the same household, call and ask the company to delete the extra listing. If you move, fill out the Postal Service's National Change of Address form so that mailers don't keep sending catalogs to your old address.

Reduce the frequency of mailings you receive

Many companies will honor consumers' requests to receive catalogs less frequently. The catalog's customer service or order department can tell you what options are available. Some catalogs may even allow you to switch from paper catalogs to e-mail notifications and product promotions, with links to the company's Web site.

Ask catalogers to use recycled paper

Next time you place an order, ask if the catalog is printed on recycled paper. If it's not, tell the company that this is important to you as a customer, and ask them to make the switch. (Our Paper Calculator can help.) Support catalog companies that use recycled paper and have demonstrated a commitment to reduce their overall impact on the environment.

Recycle catalogs

To find out more about recycling programs in your community, call your city government or 1 (800) CLEANUP, or visit www.cleanup.org. If your town does not yet recycle catalogs and other paper products, encourage municipal leaders to start.