Simple and inexpensive ways to protect the Earth

• Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. They cost more than your old bulbs, but they can last 10 times longer and use about 75 percent less energy. The Earth Day Network boasts that "if every household in the U.S. replaced a burned-out bulb with an energy-efficient, Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent bulb, the cumulative effect is enormous. It would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that from nearly 800,000 cars. It would also save enough energy to light 2.5 million homes for a year."

• Use less paper by purchasing fabric grocery bags. In the meantime, if you have to choose between plastic and paper bags, opt for paper and then reuse them a couple of times before recycling them.

• Stop your junk mail. Just about every time you give your name and address to a business, you will probably end up getting junk mail because companies buy and sell their contact lists. Visit www.proquo.com for help in getting off mailing lists. You may also have to contact some companies directly.

• Try Internet banking to save on paper, time and stamps. It's a convenient way to pay bills. Some business will even give you the option of receiving an electronic statement instead of a paper statement.

 

• Go native with your landscaping. Native trees and plants are accustomed to our soil and weather. They better tolerate our hot and sometimes dry summers. Moreover, they benefit the native wildlife by providing food and shelter. For a list of native plants, visit www.abnativeplants.com.

• Buy in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging that you have to dispose of. You can buy large quantities of durable goods like toilet paper in bulk at a warehouse store and store them. Many grocery stores now allow you to buy just as much as you need in reusable containers from their bulk bins. This can lead to less food being thrown away and lower the cost of your food items.

• Stop using plastic and paper disposables, such as cups and plates, which end up in landfills after one use. By doing so, you will also reduce your demand for all of the energy that goes into producing those products.