ways to reduce your impact

Get your ducts tested, as well as your attic and insulation. An expert can probably do a better job than you, so just use an expert to get tips on how to improve your heating and cooling costs.

Wherever you can, try to use low wattage light bulbs. Low wattage means low energy. Your energy company charges you for kilowattshour, so don t be caught using too many watts.

Try to use non toxic products around your house. Toxic chemicals poured into the ground are harder to purify than non toxic ones. Try to use water based products. They are the safest.Use low phosphate or phosphate free detergents. Take unwanted household chemicals to hazardous waste collection centers; do not pour them down the drain. Pouring chemicals down the drain may disrupt your septic system or else contaminate treatment plant sludge.

Trips back and forth to soccer practice and dance recitals and lacrosse practice takes a toll not only on the car, but also on the carbon emissions. Limit the trips you take. Scheduling properly is key, so try not to get caught driving to and from a site multiple times.

Tuneups improve performance as well as gas mileage. Make sure you go to your scheduled maintenance dates. Some other ways to improve your gas mileage are: fix problems due to worn spark plugs,dragging brakes, low transmission fluid, or the transmission not going into high gear.

To reduce the pollution that is caused from your vehicle, you should accelerate and decelerate smoothly. Anticipate stops and starts at traffic lights. We all can t avoid being in traffic, but if you are in standstill traffic, turn your car off. This is better for the environment than idling, and it is also better for your gas mileage

After you mow, you usually have grass clippings sitting on top of the freshly mowed lawn. Leave those clippings on the grass, and let them decompose into the soil. The clippings return nutrients to your yard, and you do not have to worry about hauling them away or cleaning them up.

You can make mulch from yard clippings, shredded wood, and old leaves. Mulching prevents weed growth, helps you retain water, and it adds nutrients back to the soil

Instead of using plastic water bottles, you can use a Nalgene bottle, or any other reusable water bottle.

Did you mess up on your document, or picture for workschool? Reuse that paper as scrap. Use it as note paper, make it a check list, practice math problems, review for a test. Don t throw that paper out, reuse it.