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Saturday, October 16th, 2010 at 1:10 pm

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Seven Simple ways to Help The Environment and Your Wallet

The world is a big place with big problems. Some environmental
activists demand we stop living our lives and look at everything
we do as an Earth-changing event, but not everyone can focus
their entire lives around saving the planet. The truth is that
it isn't necessary to make drastic changes in one's life to make
a difference. It isn't even necessary to spend more money to be
environmentally conscious. Below are seven simple ways to make a
difference in the environment, and save money doing it.

1. Buying compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of
incandescent ones. Advances in technology have led to a light
bulb that's designed to last up to 15 times the life of a
standard bulb. They cost more up front, but they are replaced
much less often, which makes them cheaper in the long run. Plus,
these bulbs will use less than a third of the power of
incandescents, which will reduce electricity costs. They also
generate less heat, so less air-conditioning is needed in the
summer.

2. Reusing shopping bags. Every bag reused is one less bag that
needs to be manufactured. Also, several supermarket chains have
started giving small credits towards their customers' bills when
they bring in old bags to reuse. Some people like to keep old
shopping bags in their trunk, just in case. Even more of an
improvement would be using non-disposable canvas bags - they
still count towards the credit at the check-out, but are made
from eco-friendly materials.

3. Carpooling. Most people associate carpooling with going to
work, but there are many other opportunities to share a ride. A
great deal of money could be saved on gasoline by one car going
to the mall rather than two. Also, with a little planning,
shopping trips could be taken less frequently.

4. Turning off the water when not in use. Simple things like
using half a sink full of water to wash dishes instead of
running the water can prevent waste. Turning the water off while
brushing your teeth is also a good idea. Finally, making sure
faucets aren't left dripping will make a significant difference
in water bills.

5. Completely turning off electronics. A great many of today's
appliances and electronics have a standby mode. Televisions and
stereos in particular tend to use a great deal of electricity
while on standby. Plugging devices into a power strip that has
an on/off switch can give consumers more control over their
electricity use. Particular attention should be paid to anything
with a big transformer plug, as these devices tend to use the
most power and waste the most money.

6. Turning off the air-conditioning and/or heat when leaving the
house. A great deal of electricity is wasted cooling or heating
an empty home, which leads to bigger bills. Even setting the
temperature one or two degrees different, keeping the system
from activating as often, can save significant amounts of money
each year.

7. Turning off the lights. A good rule of thumb is, "light is
useless if there's nobody there." Turning off any ceiling fans,
floor fans and lights when leaving the room saves just a little
bit of electricity, and money, every time it's done.

Of course, there are many more ways to help the environment
while saving money. These seven are simply among the most often
overlooked easy solutions. Public libraries and environmental
websites are great sources of further information

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/seven-simple-ways-to-help-the-environment-and-your-wallet-1302.html

About the Author
Juan Anselmo Borla is a freelance writer and poet. He lives at
Dancing Rabbit, a sustainable ecovillage in northeast Missouri.
There, he hopes to make the world a better place by using his
Chemical Engineering degree to develop an alternative fuels
program. His fiancee and two cats hope he doesn't blow himself
up in the process.