Easy Ways You Can Make a Difference Today

You want to help create a just global society, a healthier environment and a sustainable, prosperous economy. But where to start? Luckily, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some actions to improve your own social citizenship:

Going Green: 20 Terrific Tips

2008 Eco-Friendly and Green Habits: This series of 2,008 (the number, not the year) tips and actions will be published on the social responsibility blog Audeamus throughout 2008, with 35 new eco-habits listed each week.

Remove just one 20-mile auto trip each week from your regular errand run, and you can prevent 1,000-1,200 pounds of greenhouse gases a year. Schedule multiple errands during each trip and forget about running them in rush-hour traffic to avoid longer engine-running periods.

Ride your bike more. Data show that almost 19% of all trips in metropolitan areas are car trips of 1 mile or less. These short trips are the most polluting and the most feasible to switch to bicycling or walking. Currently, a typical trip distance for bicycle trips in the United States--of which just 5% to 10% are commute trips--is just 2 miles! Visit www.bikemetro.com to calculate the economic, environmental and health impacts of riding based on a few key variables such as distance, miles per gallon, topography, body weight, etc.

Consider a smaller car—if you need one at all. Most urban areas have extensive bus and/or subway systems in place. You may find that you save money and energy by choosing these options over car ownership. If you do decide to purchase a vehicle, research the size you need most and then aim to buy the most fuel-efficient model in that class. Don’t buy a hybrid car just as an excuse to buy a bigger vehicle than needed.

Think hard about your transportation choices. The average cross-country airline round-trip flight emits about 6,000 lbs of global warming pollution, according to offset company NativeEnergy. Short flights are particularly polluting, emitting more carbon dioxide per mile traveled than medium to longer flights. Consider the train or bus.

Insulate, insulate, insulate. Insulating your home adequately is the single most cost-effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent study by the McKinsey Global Institute. Approximately 60 million homes in the U.S. are estimated to be under-insulated. For optimal energy efficiency, an attic should have between 16 and 22 inches of insulation with a minimum total R-value of 49. Visit Insulation Fact Sheet for a free online guide that tells you exactly what level of insulation your new or older home needs, based on your zip code.

Add better insulation to the attic alone and save money while conserving the energy equivalent of 103 million barrels of oil annually--enough to fill 51 supertankers, according to the Owens Corning company.

Consider having—or even doing--an energy audit. The electricity consumed by a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. Click here Home Energy Tip for a helpful checklist for homeowners interested in doing their own energy audit. Not sure how efficient your home, vehicle, office supplies and other energy-eating products are? Visit this Energy Efficiency Calculator and Software, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. You can also check out the Home Report Card, a fun quiz that customizes recommendations on improving home energy efficiency. Determining how much energy a home uses helps you prioritize the changes that save the most money and energy.

Plant trees around your home. Three trees planted strategically around your home can reduce energy use by as much as 50%, according to American Forests. Follow its simple planting instructions for optimal success:

Plug drafts. Caulk and weather-strip around all seams, gaps and cracks in your house, paying special attention to windows and electrical boxes. Unwanted air leakage alone can raise energy bills by up to 10 percent.

Create your own “wind chill” by flipping on that fan. You’ll feel cooler around moving air and use less energy than air conditioning units and HVAC systems.

Buy a programmable thermostat that automatically lowers or raises a home’s air temperature. By regulating the temperature during the day, you can save up to 10% on annual heating and cooling costs.

Unplug appliances such as televisions, DVD players, stereos and cell phone chargers to avoid “phantom draw,” the usage of electricity even when you’re not using the products. Phantom draw can generate up to 5% of your electric bill. Consider plugging everything into surge protector/power strips and turning off the whole strip when you leave a room.

Close window shades. Keep windows covered with shades and blinds throughout the day to stop sunshine from heating up your office and home. Take special care to cover windows facing the south and west, where the sun is strongest and brightest.

Replace wasteful appliances. Replacing a dishwasher manufactured before 1994 with an Energy Star-qualified dishwasher can save you more than $30 a year in utility costs. And what about that washing machine? An Energy Star-qualified clothes washer can save up to $110 per year on your utility bills and expend only half of the energy you previously used, if you own a model made before 1994. That refrigerator? Try this Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator, but recognize that if you have a refrigerator older than 1993, the U.S. Department of Energy advises that replacement makes sense financially and efficiency-wise.

Buy the right room air conditioner. Many people mistakenly buy room air conditioners that are much too large for what they need. Visit the Energy Star Program’s online tool, How to Determine the Right Size of a Room Air Conditioner, to figure out if you can be spending your dollars more wisely.

Use cold-cold cycles to wash clothes. Thanks to innovations by the soap and detergent industry, it’s easy to find detergents on the market that don’t need warm or hot water to get your clothes clean. This saves you cash and reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

Garden for wildlife and consider getting your yard certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. NWF has lots of easy tips for attracting birds, butterflies and other wildlife to even the smallest yard habitats.

Water your yard only when it needs it. If your grass springs back after you step on it, don’t water it. Depending on your state, you could save 750-1,500 gallons of water just from this practice alone. Note, too, that if you live in a drought area, you should water with a hose.

Fix those leaking faucets and plumbing joints. You can save up to 20 gallons of water per day for every leak stopped.

Shorten your showers. Even a one or two minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month. Consider installing water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors as well, which saves 500 to 800 gallons per month.

Encourage telecommuting. A great resource is the nonprofit Telework Coalition (www.TelCoa.org; 202-266-0046), which unites organizations, companies and individuals interested in promoting awareness and adoption of existing and emerging telework and telecommuting applications. Its 2006 benchmarking study of employers representing 500,000 workers and 150,000 teleworkers, examined how large organizations addressed and overcame obstacles and objections to create successful programs that benefit both the organization and its employees through reduced real estate costs, increased employee retention, and a much higher rate of employee satisfaction. An executive summary and the full report are at www.TelCoa.org.

This article is courtesy of ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership.