WELCOME TO COUNT DOWN YOUR CARBON!

According to the US Department of Energy, lighting accounts for 12% of the electricity use of an average home and a staggering 25% of commercial energy usage. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs: they are four times as efficient as incandescent bulbs—and last up to 10 times longer!

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Trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen which is released into the atmosphere. Planting a tree in your neighborhood can help beautify the area while absorbing 2,000 pounds of CO₂ over its lifetime. In contrast, the destruction of trees by burning not only reduces the number of trees absorbing CO₂, but also releases their stored carbon. Protecting an acre of rainforest from slash and burn techniques can avoid 80 tons of greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere!

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In 2006 alone, Americans using Energy Star labeled products reduced their CO₂ emissions by an amount equal to that emitted by 25 million cars and saved a total of $14 billion on their utility bills. Energy Star rated refrigerators are 15% more energy efficient than current federal standards. Energy Star rated washing machines use 50% less energy and less water than conventional models, and can save you up to $110 a year on your utility bills.

The Energy Star label is awarded to appliances, electronics, and equipment that meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy. More information about the Energy Star program can be found at www.energystar.gov.

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As much as 44% of all household energy in the US is spent on heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. You can save significant energy and money with simple measures such as adjusting your thermostat or shutting down equipment. A home energy audit can help you understand how much energy you use and how you can reduce it. Unplugging appliances such as televisions, stereos, and computers while not in use can have a big impact too: the International Energy Agency estimates that the power consumed by these appliances just while on standby is responsible for 1% of the entire world's CO₂ emissions.

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Heating water requires energy: the less hot water you use, the lower your CO₂ emissions. Installing low-flow faucets and showerheads or using warm water instead of hot can greatly decrease the carbon dioxide emissions from your home. Turn down your hot water heater and wrap it in an insulating blanket and you can further reduce your CO₂ emissions by up to 1,500 lbs a year.

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Over 600 utility companies across the country offer green energy to their customers. Green energy options— such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power —emit far fewer greenhouse gases than conventional fossil-fuel based power sources. If your utility does not allow you to choose green energy as your power source, you can still offset the carbon emissions from your energy usage by buying renewable energy credits. By using either method to invest in clean energy, you are helping the green power industry to grow and adding to the amount of green power put onto the grid.

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According to the US EPA, Americans drive an average of 12,000 miles a year. With an average of 20 pounds of CO₂ emitted per gallon of gasoline consumed, the typical passenger car in the US releases over 5 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere each year. By driving less and improving the gas mileage of your vehicle, you can greatly reduce your carbon emissions.

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According to a report from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, the meat industry produces about 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions come from the energy required to produce feed for livestock as well as from the gases produced by the digestive systems of cattle. By limiting meat, especially beef, you can help slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. Eating locally and organically produced food also reduces your carbon emissions. Most food travels between 1200 and 2500 miles before it is eaten. Eating locally produced food one day a week can reduce your CO₂ emissions by 6000 pounds a year.

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Reducing, reusing and recycling can also decrease your carbon emissions. By reducing your garbage by only 10%, you can reduce your CO₂ emissions by as much as 1,200 pounds a year. Reusing durable manufactured goods can help cut down the waste you produce and the CO₂ emitted to produce them. Recycling is also an important factor. One aluminum can, for example, can save enough energy to power a TV for two hours, while recycled paper uses 60% less energy than making paper from virgin trees.

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While the best way to stop global warming is to reduce your carbon footprint, carbon offsets are a way to compensate for the emissions that you can not reduce. Carbon offsetting is a way to compensate for the amount of CO₂ emissions you produce with an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide reductions. A variety of offset options can be purchased from non-profit and for-profit companies and range from tree planting to investment in verifiable renewable energy and energy conservation projects.

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