What You Can Do

You release greenhouse gases as a result of using energy to drive, using electricity to light and heat your home, and through other activities that support our quality of life like growing food, raising livestock and throwing away garbage. Greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced through simple measures like changing light bulbs and properly inflating your tires.

Simple Changes in the Home

Change 5 lights. Change a light, and you help change the world. Replace the conventional bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent more than 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

Look for ENERGY STAR labeled products. When buying new products, such as appliances for your home, get the features and performance you want AND help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Look for ENERGY STAR-qualified products in more than 40 product categories, including lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances.
Use water efficiently. Everyone can save water through simple actions. Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth. Do not use your toilet as a waste basket for toiletry items – water is wasted with each flush. And did you know a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away. See EPA's WaterSense site for more water saving tips.
Spread the Word. Tell family and friends that energy efficiency is good for their homes and good for the environment because it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Tell 5 people and together we can help our homes help us all.

Top 10 Reasons to Recycle

Recycling saves trees.
Recycling protects wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
Recycling lowers the use of toxic chemicals.
Recycling helps curb global warming.
Recycling stems the flow of water pollution.
Recycling reduces the need for landfills.
Recycling reduces the need for incinerators.
Recycling creates jobs and promotes economic development.
Cities may profit by selling recyclables.
Buying recycled products contributes to the demand for more recycled products.

Some Things to Think About

In a year, a typical North American car will add close to 5 tons of CO ₂ into the atmosphere.
The average number of barrels of oil consumed daily in the US is 17 million.
Driving consumes 43% of those barrels of oil.