Global warming is a pressing problem that if not solved soon could leave everyon e on this planet in the most

dire of circumstances. However, you don t have to be a scientist with a miracle solution or a rich philanthropist with countless resour ces to help. All it takes is a few simple lifestyle changes, a sense of responsi bility, and a positive caring attitude. Here are some small easy things you can do to contribute to the effort against g lobal warming. Bit of a warning, though: a few of these suggestions demand that you exert some effort; others might call for spending a bit of money. Nonetheles s, the rewards for applying these ideas in your daily life will definitely be fo r the benefit of everyone and can even save you considerable amounts of cash in the future. 1. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs/tubes instead of the regular incandescent ones. Although CLFs are more expensive than incandescents, they give off the sa me amount of life, have a longer rated life and use less power. 2. Put in a programmable thermostat in your home. These guys can be programmed t o adjust the temperature according to different times of the day thus reducing t he heating and cooling losses of a building and thereby saving precious energy. 3. Wash or change dirty filters on your air conditioners and furnace. Doing this regularly saves a large amount of carbon dioxide every year. 4. Choose your purchases wisely. Make sure that the appliances you buy are energ y efficient. To do this, look for the Energy Star label. An appliance with this label has met strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Departme nt of Energy. Buy also organic and recycled products. 5. Turn off appliances instead of setting them on standby. Appliances on standby mode still consume a lot of energy. 6. Do not place your freezers and refrigerators in hot places or next to hot app liances. Doing this causes them to use more energy and emit more CO2 than if the y were standing on their own. 7. If your refrigerator and freezers are old, see to it that they are defrosted regularly. Better yet, if you can afford it buy more energy-efficient newer mode ls. 8. Do not air your house for more than a few minutes. Make sure that windows and doors are closed during cold months so that heat does not escape as the energy to keep your home warm produces a lot of emissions. 9. Audit your homes to see what areas are energy inefficient then have your wall s and ceilings properly insulated and weatherized accordingly. Audits come free with some utilities and it ll save you money as well as reduce C02 emissions. 9. Make sure your pots are covered while cooking. Using steamers and pressure co okers are better as they save a lot more energy. 10. Use the washing machine and the dishwasher only when you have a load that ca n fill them. If you really need to use them right away, use the economy setting and do not set the temperature too high. 11. Instead of bathing, take showers. Use low flow shower heads in place of powe r showers. They do the same thing and are less expensive. 12. Do not use so much hot water as heating water consumes a lot of energy. Usin g cold or warm water for washing clothes saves 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a ye ar. 13. Hang your clothes out to dry instead of using a dryer. Using a clothesline f or even just six months a year can save at least 700 pounds of carbon dioxide an nually. 14. Make use of a reusable shopping bag. Disposable shopping bags contributes to pollution and releases CO2 and methane into the atmosphere. 15. Plant more trees. Houses shaded by trees are cooler and can thereby make les s use of their air conditioning units. Trees of course also absorb and help less en the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 16. Use wind, solar and other renewable sources of energy. You can even earn mon ey by selling the energy you don t use and, in some places, avail of refunds awarded by the government to those who use clean energy sources. 17. Purchase locally-produced and fresh food. Fresh food take 10 time less energ y to produce than frozen ones while buying from the local farmer s market enables yo

u to save fuel and contribute to your community. 18. Consume less meat especially beef. Cows produce a lot of methane because of their diet and digestive system. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that affec ts the degradation of the ozone layer. 20. Instead of driving to work everyday, try walking, biking, carpooling or comm uting. Less driving means less carbon dioxide emissions from your car. 21. Remove empty roof racks from your car. Because of the wind resistance and ad ded weight it generates, roof racks can increase your fuel usage and carbon diox ide emissions. 22. Schedule regular tune-ups for your car. A maintained and efficiently running car emits less CO2 and uses fuel effectively. 23. Reduce the number of flights you take every year. Airplanes and jets gives o ff a lot of emissions so reducing flying trips helps a lot. 24. Be pro-active. Be an example to your community and encourage them to take ac tion. Support or join environmental groups. You can even help by voting for envi ronmentally-aware politicians and laws that promote conservation.