What Consumers Can Do
When we drive, use electricity from coal-burning power plants, or heat and cool our homes, we burn fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air. Because we burn so much fuel, there’s now a big layer of these gases around the Earth causing a “greenhouse effect” that traps heat and makes the Earth’s temperature rise. That increase will lead to some very serious consequences, including rising ocean levels, more intense hurricanes, droughts, and the increased spread of disease.
Global warming sounds like such a big problem it sometimes feels like there’s nothing any of us can do to fight it. But there’s a lot we can do just by making small changes in our everyday lives.
By following some of the simple steps below -- and others found in the “Low Carbon Diet” consumers’ guide -- we can lower the amount of CO2 each of us produces. If each of us takes just one of these steps, we can all make a big difference. For example: Burning one gallon of gasoline releases 19 pounds of CO2. So saving just a gallon a week cuts your emissions by nearly a thousand pounds a year. The list below gives examples of other ways we can cut back on the amount of CO2 each of us produces every day.
Top 10 Simple Steps to Reduce Global Warming
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Action: Recycle (paper, plastic, metal, glass)
Carbon dioxide reduction: 2400 lbs of carbon dioxide/year by recycling half of all household-generated waste -
Action: Wash clothes in warm/cold water (not hot)
Carbon dioxide reduction: 100 pounds of carbon dioxide/year -
Action: Don’t overheat or overcool rooms
Carbon dioxide reduction: 200 lbs of carbon dioxide/year per household for every 2-degree reduction -
Action: Turn water heater down to 120 degrees
Carbon dioxide reduction: 200 lbs of carbon dioxide/year for every 20-degree reduction -
Action: Buy CFL light bulbs
Carbon dioxide reduction: 500 lbs of carbon dioxide/year for replacing home’s most-used lights -
Action: Insulate walls and ceilings
Carbon dioxide reduction: 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide/year -
Action: Use your most fuel-efficient car for short trips, less fuel-efficient car only when needed
Carbon dioxide reduction: 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide/year by shifting 3,000 miles from a car that gets 24 mpg -
Action: Replace old appliances with energy-efficient models
Carbon dioxide reduction: 600 lbs of carbon dioxide/year by replacing old a/c unit with Energy Star -
Action: Only run the dishwasher when full, don’t use heat to dry dishes
Carbon dioxide reduction: 100 lbs of carbon dioxide/year -
Action: Caulk and weather strip around doors and windows to plug air leaks
Carbon dioxide reduction: 650 lbs of carbon dioxide/year