10 Top Ways to Save Money And the Environment

As the price of gas soars to $4.00 a gallon and beyond and the
price of conventional energy to heat, cool, and light our homes
continues to rise, here are 10 easy ways to save some cash, energy and
our environment at the same time.1. Kill the energy vampires:
According to the website Repower At Home, the typical household spends
10 percent of its electrical bill on things plugged in but not turned
on. Simply unplug and save.2. Use power strips: Put electronics
like your computer, printer and fax machine all on the same power strip.
Make it simple: turn the energy off and save big.3. Program your
life: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save 10
percent a year on heating and cooling just by setting your thermostat
back 10-15 degrees for eight hours a day. Let a programmable thermostat
do this for you.4. Buy green and save green: Check in with your
power provider and see if they have a "green" power option. If so, you
get to choose to support renewable energy like solar, wind or
geothermal, instead of polluting fuels like coal or oil; you win and so
does the air we breath!5. Put the energy detectives to work:
Empower the kids in your life and motivate them to help you reduce your
energy bills at home by unplugging, turning off the lights, changing
light bulbs, etc. When you see a reduction on your energy bill pass some
of the savings on to your kids. For more ideas, visit the
GreenAllowance website.6. Change a light bulb, save the world
(and up to $50!): Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs use 75 percent
less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times
longer. For every bulb you swap, you will cut as much as 1,000 pounds of
greenhouse gas emissions each year and save up to $50 on your energy
bill over the lifetime of the bulb.7. Earn a star: When it comes
time to replace appliances, choose Energy Star products, a designation
of the Environmental Protection Agency that helps you choose more energy
efficient products, save money, and use less energy. Check with Energy
Star.gov as you may be eligible for state or federal rebates.8.
Be Informed: As an informed consumer, use your purchasing power to
support companies and products that are trying to be more
environmentally responsible. For help, visit the ClimateCounts website
and find out which companies are trying harder.9. Bulk up and
lose: Buy food, cleaning supplies, and other products in bulk and save.
Not only will you be reducing packaging, but you are also helping to
conserve resources and reduce landfill waste.10. Play games: Join
DoSomething.org and the Environmental Protection Agency and play
Emission, a Facebook game where players advance by taking action offline
to save energy and help the environment!






Climate Mama is an online climate change education, advocacy
and information site. We will give you the facts on Climate Change. We
want to help you understand what your carbon footprint is and what that
really means!! We want you to be able to look your son, your daughter,
your grandchild, nephew, niece or student in the eye and tell them you
are doing what you can to take care of the earth for them. We want you
to feel empowered, that you are doing what you can to ensure that the
world they inherit is a world that is as precious, as vibrant, as
healthy and as alive, as the one you grew up in.