Simon - Recycle / Energy Friendly LightBulbs

Recycling conserves our natural resources, saves landfill space, conserves energy, and reduces water pollution, air pollution and the green house gas emissions that cause global warming. Together, Reducing, Reusing, Recycling and buying Recycled products make up a comprehensive waste and resource reduction strategy that benefits our natural world and our economy.

Eco friendly light Emitting Diodes (LED) is very energy efficient and last a long time. They are fast becoming the must need eco friendly light bulb but still cost more than the CFLs. Why are they so popular? They last much longer and use less energy. In fact, an LED eco friendly light bulb will reduce energy use by nearly 90 percent and will last up to 100,000 hours. LED are good in cars because they light up faster than regular lights. While they are expensive, prices are on the downward trend.

Heather - Energy Strips / Reusable Bags

If you need proof that your appliances are sucking energy even when they're sitting unused, just turn out the lights some evening. All those glowing red dots and flashing digital clocks are a clear sign your household appliances are spending your money while you sleep.

One of the biggest energy gobblers are the transformers that continuously recharge your cell phone, power your computer peripherals and keep your Game Boy ready for use.

A recent study by students and scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) shows that the average California home pays between $50 and $70 every year to keep those little red lights burning, the clocks ticking and the electronics humming while the appliances go unused. Eliminating this standby or "leaking" electricity could save households between six and 26 percent on their average monthly electricity bill, the study found.

The next time the clerk at your favorite grocery store asks whether you prefer “paper or plastic” for your purchases, consider giving the truly eco-friendly response and saying, “neither.”

Plastic bags end up as litter that fouls the landscape, and kill thousands of marine mammals every year that mistake the floating bags for food. Plastic bags that get buried in landfills may take up to 1,000 years to break down, and in the process they separate into smaller and smaller toxic particles that contaminate soil and water.
Furthermore, the production of plastic bags consume millions of gallons of oil that could be used for fuel and heating.

Kyle - Ride Your Bike

You may have heard a lot about 'carbon footprints' in the news lately. Your carbon footprint is a way of measuring how your day-to-day activities have an impact on the environment. For example, if you insulate your home, you'll need less energy to keep it warm, meaning your carbon footprint will be smaller.

Cycling instead of using your car is a great way to help reduce your carbon footprint. A bike won't produce any of the harmful emissions that a car does. With the rising price of gas, cycling will also help you save on travel costs. So do your bit for the environment by getting on your bike! It's a great way for you to cut down on those CO2 emissions.

Nico - Public Transportation

Energy independence—According to Treehugger.com, if just one in 10 Americans used public transportation daily, U.S. reliance on foreign oil would decrease 40 percent. Safety—Riding a bus is 79 times safer than riding in an automobile, and riding a train or subway is even safer. Health—Studies have shown that people who use public transportation regularly tend to be healthier than people who don’t, because of the exercise they get walking to and from bus stops, subway stations and their homes and offices. Cost savings—According to an APTA study, families that use public transportation can reduce their household expenses by $6,200 annually, more than the average U.S. household spends on food every year.