1. On every trip to the grocery store, take NO new bags. Either bring cloth tote bags or re-use plastic ones we already have.

2. Add layers (sweater, blanket) before turning up thermostat.

3. Use recycled water on plants, instead of filling a new pitcher.

I just found out last night that you can take your batteries to a Batteries Plus store for recycling, if you have one nearby.

I wasn't able to find any resources on recycling batteries where I live, but we have a Batteries Plus in town and I checked their website and they do claim to recycle batteries.

To remove as many paper products and chemicals from my home as possible. So far we've been 2 months without paper-towels, and it's EASY. And I've convinced my father to do the same thing :)

The kids and wife are teasing me because I am constantly taking things out of the trash and putting them in the recycle bin.

Hold off as long as possible on turning on the heat.

Replace the windows and insulate the house better for our Maine climate.

1. Just bought a reusable plastic water bottle and a Brita water filter so I won't be tempted to buy bottled water any more.

2. I'm going to try really hard to remember to bring my canvas totes to the grocery store with me or at least keep the plastic bags in the car to reuse them.

3. Every time a light bulb burns out, change it with a CFL.

My boyfriend and I have started carrying cloth bags with us to the store. A few months ago, I noticed we had a GIANT bag filled with those god-awful plastic bags. I refuse to throw them away because I just feel wasteful and not eco-friendly. So, we're reusing the plastic bags we have and NOT acquiring any more!! because of this, it's really gotten me into reusing (I have SERIOUS issues with recycling) and so i buy milk in glass reusable bottles now. Both of the above mentioned items also saves me pennies each shopping trip, but pennies add up. Like I said, I have issues with recycling. I don't do it. Except, for aluminum which is a worthwhile recycling effort, which is why again, you get money back for it. I reuse plastic and paper anyway. I reuse plastic bottles and containers for drinks and food. And, I shred used paper and give it to my hamster for bedding. I love to reuse.

1) Recycling as much garbage as I can, along with newspapers
2) Installed a Pur faucet water filter and stopped buying bottled water
3) Using canvas grocery bags
4) Swapping out lightbulbs for CFL's as they burn out.
5) Cleaning my bathroom with a vinegar & water solution instead of overpriced harsh chemicals.
6) Reading labels at the store and purchasing more things packaged in recycled materials.

My husband and I went 30 days without buying any plastic. See our blog to find out more about plastic, it's impact on the environment, and ways you can lessen your impact.

1) I currently reuse grocery bags as pooper-scoopers. We're moving in 9 months and I hope to have a place with an appropriate storage spot for a real pooper-scooper so I'll never touch plastic bags again.
2) Slowly transition from paper towels to microfiber cloths. Trying to persuade doubtful spouse of the possibility. (Might as well buy some cloth napkins to help with this).
3) Buy thermostat programmer/timer

1) No more plastic grocery bags! They suck in so many ways.
2) Green-minded holiday gifts!
3) CFLs everywhere! (perhaps I could combine 2 & 3...)

As a graphic designer, I know that my work contributes quite a bit of environmental damage, even though I already use CLFs in the studio, re-use shopping bags, and bind my used paper into notepads for reuse. For many things, paper is still the best medium for the message. So, I resolve to:

• When designing for print, design smaller sizes to use less paper
• Only print with recycled/post-consumer waste stock from now on
• Soy or vegetable-based inks whenever I can get it
• Flatly refuse free varnish/UV coating offers from the printer, since they make paper less recyclable
• Reuse before I recycle to get the most out of the materials I go through
• Get other designers onboard with printing green

1. Keep preparing natural products like Hair-gel, hand sanitizer, laundry detergent.
2. Clean with baking soda and vinegar instead of nasty chemical detergents.
3. No more paper products.
4. Reuse containers and buy in bulk.
5. Start a compost.
6. Not buy any prepackaged foods.
7. Keep thinking of ideas (and put them into practice) that would be both economical and eco-friendly!

1) I started line drying my clothes. This is a HUGE savings to my gas bill. Plus my clothes dry less wrinkled. It's like a zen exercise in simplicity when line drying my clothes.

2) I've added a water heater blanket to the water heater. Unfortunately my house building codes can't support an on-demand water heater or solar water heater so I have to settle for the next best thing.

3) I stopped commuting. I talked my company to letting me telecommute. I saved over 12,000 miles of commuting and regained 15 hours a week for not being stuck in 1.5 hours of traffic each way. My company benefits by gaining more billable hours.

I estimated I slashed my carbon footprint by 75%.

I am working with a coalition to make sure Congress sends the president a strong energy bill with meaningful changes for our environment and planet. This legislation would be a monumental step toward stopping global warming.

Go to www.energybill2007.org.
and sign the petition. This is our chance for real progress, don't let Congress back down!

Reading through these lists, I realized that as my family has become more committed to handling our money responsibly, we have also become more green.

1. WE DID build a rain barrel (a free neighborhood association event) that we use to gather water for our outdoor pond, vegetable garden, and indoor fish tank. WE WILL use that water for indoor plants and see if we can’t use it to flush the toilet as well
2. WE DID install a programmable thermostat this summer – we couldn’t figure out how to use it, which really cut down on our use of air conditioning ☺
3. WE DID just replace all our light bulbs with CFC bulbs, for which we got a rebate from our local energy company that made the $4.95 bulb 79 cents!
4. WE DID just put our electronic equipment on power strips so we can turn them all off at once every evening. I WILL unplug power strips in the evening.
5. WE WILL become a one-car family, using carpools and busing. We donated one old car to charity – one more to go. WE DID buy a scooter, which my husband uses to get to work when it’s above freezing. It gets 90 miles per gallon!
6. WE WILL stop using paper towels.
7. WE DID stop buying lunch at work, saving money and a massive amount of paper waste. I WILL start bringing silverware from home and stop using plastic silverware from work.
8. WE DID pick up some free reusable grocery bags at our state fair and we’ve been using them about half the time. WE WILL find a way to remember them every time we go shopping.
9. WE WILL find more ways to walk to our errands rather than drive a car. Two weeks ago we walked to the grocery store with our reusable bags and two of our kids. We had a great conversation along the way about what we are doing to be more financially and ecologically responsible. We asked for their ideas as well.
10. WE WILL sign up for a CSA (community support agriculture) share next summer as a way to eat local and minimize the gas used to transport food long distances.
11. WE DID bring paper home from work that had been printed on one side so we could use the other side for printing.
12. WE DID spend much of the year decluttering. We posted items online on Freecycle and were able to recycle ceiling tiles, old wood paneling, old bicycles!
13. WE DID start this month sending cease and desist notices to vendors who send us catalogs. We’ll check online if we need something.
14. WE DID save a couple of plastic drinking bottles. We buy the large container of V8 juice and pour a day’s drink into the smaller plastic bottle to bring to work.
15. WE DO wash and reuse plastic sandwich bags, but WE WILL start using more durable plastic containers and try to live without the baggies altogether.
16. WE WILL look for ways to avoid using the clothes dryer.
17. WE WILL look into e-bills to see if we can do it without losing track of bills!
18. WE WILL sew some decorative bags that we can use and reuse, instead of wrapping paper, for the holidays; better yet, we will look for ways to give non-tangible gifts.
19. With the money we are saving with tips from Wise Bread and other sources, WE WILL make progress on our 10-year plan to make our house more energy independent with solar or geothermal.

I will stop using disposable baggies and bring my lunch in reusable containers. I will also buy cfl bulbs for my parents & aunt.

1. Replace the rest of the bulbs with CFL's
2. Find where to recycle beer cans
3. Continue collecting AA batteries to recycle and look into rechargables for my camera
4. Use natural cleaners in several areas
5. Walk to work (2 miles) when the temp is above 50 degrees and there isn't inclimate weather, unfortunately, I live in Ohio, which lessens this opportunity
6. Hang even more of my clothes to dry than I already do
7. Winterize the windows with a kit
8. Research joining a CSA
9. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store and walk when the weather cooperates
10. Buy used when possible

These are things I have done recently to help the environment:
1. Our office's garbage collector does not recycle. So, I volunteered to handle the recycling in our office. I have a tub at the office that I take home with me every other day and sort and then take to my local recycling center. We recycle everything from water bottles and soda cans to frozen dinner trays and boxes.

2. I traded my SUV in for a compact that gets 35 miles to the gallon.

3. I hang all of my laundry out to dry.

My resolutions are to:
1. Stop using plastic bags at the gocery store and take my own cloth bags or boxes.

2. Carpool to work.

3. Stop using styrofoam.

I use cloth napkins instead of paper. They look nice, feel great and are recyclable. I bought a whole bunch of pretty green and white ones at the local discount store, and even take them to work for an elegant touch.

I'm doing my best to cut down on my meat consumption. I don't think I'll ever give it up entirely, but if I eat it once a week or less instead of nearly everyday as I did when I lived at home, that should have a serious impact on the amount of energy required to produce my food.

Not quite, I'm afraid.
Consider this factual information about CFLs:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/cfl
http://www.io.com/~dstroup/mercury.html
http://www.execulink.com/~impact/fluorescent_lights.htm

and especially this one:

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213

My invention of a quantum dot based light uses only 4 watts to produce the brilliance and colour temperature of an incandescent 100 watt light.
See our web site. www.deak-lam.com they will be out if January of 2008.
50,000 hours and can be dimmed, unlike that of the CFL. No mercury or phosphor. No glass, all plastic and an incentive recycle programme in place. Spread the word, a much better alternative to the incandescent and the CFL and tube type of fluorescent is here. This is 21st Century lighting.