Easy ways to go green:1. Stop hunting for parking. Pull in and park in the first available space even if you'll have to walk a few extra steps or walk instead of driving.
2. Use those curly CFL bulbs. They give a 100-watt appearance for only 13 watts of power used. Remember if the bulb breaks, EPA recommends that (1) you immediately open windows to reduce mercury concentrations inside your home; (2) you do not touch the spilled mercury; (3) you clean up the broken CFL glass carefully and immediately (but not with your hands or a vacuum cleaner), and (4) you wipe the affected area with a paper towel to remove all glass fragments and mercury. EPA further recommends that you place the paper towel and glass fragments in a sealed plastic bag and bring the sealed bag to your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Site.
3. Use wind energy. Modern windmills are quieter, and the energy is renewable.
4. Stop drinking bottled water. You are getting clean water, even cleaner in many cases, from your tap. All the energy spent in bottling, transporting and recycling is unnecessary. When a bottling company ad said "because it's not bottled in Cleveland, " a comparison found 6.3 micrograms of arsenic per liter in the bottling company's water while Cleveland's water had no measurable arsenic. If you are still not convinced about the safety of your tap water, buy your next refrigerator with a filter or get a portable filter pitcher.
5. Turn off vampire devices. Even when not in use, rechargers and plugged-in TVs, CDs and VCRs consume energy. Put them on outlet strips that are turned off at night or when not in use.
6. Have a clothesline. The sun, nature's own clothes dryer, not only saves energy, but your clothes last longer, maintain their colors and get sanitized.
Taken from "Go green in eight simple steps. Honest" By AUTAR KAW Published July 5, 2007 in the St. Pete Times
