Climate Change Action Network - Solutions ~ 10 Easy Steps

Solutions ~ 10 Easy Steps

10 Steps we can all take to reduce our impact on global warming.
1. Saving energy saves money
Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) a year.
Adjusting your thermostat just two degrees in the winter and summer can save about 2,000 pounds of CO₂a year.
Turn off electronic devices. Simply turning off your television, stereo and computer when your not using them will save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
2. Save by driving less & smarter
Walk, bike, carpool or take mass transit more often. Sign up for local carpooling on our site.
You’ll keep one pound of CO₂out of the atmosphere for every mile you don’t drive.
Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%.
Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of CO₂ out of the atmosphere.
Limit car idling to 30 seconds or less, and make sure your next vehicle gets high mileage.
See carpool info below ten steps.
3. Reduce, Reuse, RECYCLE
Reduce what you buy, reuse what you have, and recylce everything you can.
Avoid products with a lot of packaging.
Use cloth bags for shopping and buy recycled paper products to save literally millions of trees a year.
You can save 2,400 pounds of CO2 by recycling just half of your household waste.
4. Use less hot water & keep it clean
It takes a lot of energy to heat hot water. Use less hot water by installing a low flow shower head (350 pounds of CO2 saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year). This will also save significant money on your energy bill.
Use biodegradable soaps and non-toxic cleaners to help keep water clean. Chlorine Bleach, a known carcinogen, is one of the most toxic substances on the market and should be avoided at all costs.
5. Plant a tree!
Trees are our first line of defense against global warming.
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over it's lifetime.
Don't waste this precious resource on disposable tissue products, like toilet paper and paper towels.
If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees.
If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 544,000 trees.
6. Support local food production
7. Shop Green - Think before you buy!
8. Think globally, act locally
Encourage local and federal representatives to take immediate action to reduce the causes of global warming for current and future generations worldwide.
9. Consolidate activities with family, friends & community
10. Educate to protect the planet for all living things
Share these 10 steps with your family and friends.
Learn about CO2 emissions and calculate your energy usage by looking at your utility bill and kilowatt hours of enery used.

Carpooling saves $ and our air!

In the US, transportation is the single largest emitter, contributing one-third of the man-made carbon dioxide that is accelerating climate change, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

By carpooling we can cut back on oil consumption, and emissions from transportation, and save money at the same time.

* About 20 lbs. of carbon dioxide is emitted for each gallon of gasoline consumed. If your vehicle gets 20 mpg, and you commute 40 miles a day, five days a week, 50 weeks a year, your vehicle is producing 5 tons of CO₂ annually.

* The estimated annual cost of a 40-mile commute is about $2600.

* Two people carpooling would cut both those figures in half.

Carpooling can also cut down on traffic congestion and parking problems. Thousands of cars travel between north Idaho communities every day. Almost all of them have room for more passengers. Many drivers could save on gas money. The easiest way is with someone you know. You can carpool with coworkers, neighbors or members of your church. It may not be easy to find someone whose ride matches up closely with yours as to time and place.

ClimateCAN would like to help our communities increase opportunities for carpooling. We would like to encourage you to sign up on our site by clicking on the CarPool Sign Up link. http://www.climatecan.org/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,28/ This tool will help you connect with others, it is very efficient and it’s free. You may find rides for one time events like to or from the airport, or a more regular connection for work or school commutes.

This site not only provides the database and search tools to allow carpoolers to match up, but also gives tips for successful and safe carpooling. For example, carpoolers should decide where will the designated pick-up point be? Some have door to door service, while others prefer to meet at a convenient spot, such as a church or grocery store parking lot. Establish smoking/non smoking policies. Will there be any unscheduled stops? How long will you wait for someone if they are late? How many days a week will you share the ride to work? Since there is always a risk associated with meeting new people, eRideShare.com suggests that you should meet the person you're considering traveling with, in a public place, before agreeing to travel together.

If everyone from Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai Counties that wanted to carpool posted a listing to this site it would make it much easier to find people whose needs match up. After signing up, be patient. It takes a lot of people from our area using this site for it to work.

Help spread the word! At first, there will be very few rides listed for our area, so it’s important that you add your own posting. Keep checking back, until you find your match, or they find you.

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