how to reduce your carbon footprint

Reduce What You Can, Offset What You Cant.

Thats our motto, and were proud of it. Everyone has a responsibility to reduce their individual
carbon footprint, and there are lots of ways to do so. We encourage everyone to think about their
lifestyle decisions and find opportunities to reduce their climate impact.
You can get partway to carbon neutrality through how you live your life, i.e., reducing your
carbon footprint, and get the rest of the way there by supporting Carbonfund.orgs carbon offset
projects.
Here are some good ways to start.
id you know that the energy used to produce, deliver and dispose of !unk mail produces more
greenhouse gas emissions than ".# million cars$ You can dramatically reduce your !unk mail
through the service of our nonprofit partner %&pounds, which will contact do'ens of direct mail
companies to remove your name from lists, including catalogs you specify. The cost is (%& for
everyone in your household for five years. Clic here for more information.
With the world)s growing reliance on the *nternet, the office is
becoming a ma!or driver of climate change. The energy re+uired to
power all the world)s computers, data storage, and communications
networks is e,pected to double by "-"-. e!lus"reen offers free
technology that monitors and can help to minimi'e energy usage
from computers and office networks, thus reducing carbon
emissions. Clic here for more information.
.ere are some more ideas to get you started on your 'ero/carbon !ourney0
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your
Car
#ri$e %etter / 1tudies have shown up to 2-3 of the difference in miles per gallon 45678 is due
to driving habits alone. You could save more than a ton of C9
"
per year by0
/ :ccelerating slowly and smoothly
/ riving the speed limit
/ 5aintaining a steady speed
/ :nticipating your stops and starts
&aintenance / ;eep your car tuned up and running efficiently.
&ore &aintenance / <eplace your air, oil and fuel filters according to schedule.
'ires / ;eep your tires properly inflated 4!ust this can save %--/=-- pounds of C9
"
per year8.
&ae your ne(t $ehicle a fuel)efficient one / Check out E6:s "reen *ehicle "uide for info
on miles per gallon as well as E6: 1martWay
>
certified vehicles, meeting rigorous air pollution
and greenhouse gas emissions standards.
Household fuel efficiency / *f your household has two cars and one is used mostly for
commuting, make the commuting car a real gas sipper if you cant for both.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your
Travel
: lot of our emissions come from !ust being inefficient or not deliberate with our daily decisions.
Every day think about how you could reduce the miles you drive and pretty soon youll start
identifying lots of opportunities0
Com%ine your trip with another.
Carpool / ?ust once a week saves "-3.
Chec out your transit options / *t may not work for you every time, but use it when it does.
What a%out your %ie+ / 7et in shape, too@
Only a mile+ / Walk.
'hin it through / o you need to take this trip at all$
"et it on the ,nternet.
Optimi-e / 1ave this trip for later and combine with another.
'elecommute / Work from home occasionally.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your
Air Travel
'hin a%out the trip / Can you combine it with another or get more done on one trip$
'rain / Aor some trips the train may be a good choice for you.
.ly nonstop / Bonstop flights are better than connecting flights 4for many reasons8.
When you get there / o some research ahead of time to find better ground travel options
4shuttles, transit, trains, etc.8 at your destination.
/odging / :sk your hotel about their environmental commitment and steps theyre taking to
reduce, offset.
While youre away / Turn your stuff off. Turn down your thermostat and your water heaterC turn
off your electronics 4even smarter0 unplug them to protect from electrical storms8. Whats the
point of things being on with no one there$
&ore tips / Take a look at these green tra$el tips.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your
Home
!rogramma%le thermostat D Costs about (E- or less and will save you that much or more in
the first year.
Weatherstripping and Cauling D Costs almost nothing while reducing your energy use,
reducing drafts and improving comfort.
/ighting D Compact fluorescent light bulbs 4CAFs8 have that cool curly shape and save more
than "G2rds of the energy of a regular incandescent. Each bulb can save (%- or more over its
lifetime. <ead the bo, or instructions for safe disposal.
Heating and Cooling / ;eep your heating and cooling system4s8 tuned. When its time to
replace, do your research and ask for EBE<7Y 1T:<.
,nsulation D Weatherstripping, caulking and insulation work together to save you energy,
improve the comfort of your home, make it +uieter and help you save money.
Water)Conser$ing 0howerheads 1 'oilets D You can reduce water and heating costs, even in
your bathroom. To save even more water, turn the faucet off when brushing or shaving. These
simple changes and steps can save many thousands of gallons of water annually.
2ppliances D :lways pay attention to the total lifetime cost, including energyHnot !ust the price
tag. Fook for the EBE<7Y 1T:< label 4check out energystar.go$8.
3igger isnt always %etter / ?ust get the si'e you needC do you really need that e,tra refrigerator
in the basement$
4lectronics D Fikewise, look for EBE<7Y 1T:<. :nd do like your 5om said/ turn things off.
*f youre going away or not using an item for awhile, unplug it to prevent IvampireJ energy loss
from electricity usage on standby.
Windows D These can be e,pensive, but when its time to replace them, make sure they are
EBE<7Y 1T:< rated.
0olar D We love solar, but make sure you reduce your energy load first to keep your costs down.
5ew Home D Consider an energy/efficient 454R"Y 0'2R Home.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your
Wedding
Weddings are all about the couple, but they can still be a little about the planet, right$
6nowledge D There is a surprising amount to learn when it comes to planning a wedding.
Though primarily a resource for training green wedding planners, 5ew Wedding !lanet is a
great site for new couples to learn the ins and outs of planning everything from cake design to
the elements of traditional or cultural ceremonies.
,n$itations D Ktili'e recycled or post/consumer waste paper for all your invitations, thank you
notes, place cards, etc. 9r cut out the paper waste altogether by choosing to go digital and putting
1ave the ates, maps, and reception cards on your wedding website.
.lowers and .ood D 1ame idea for both0 make it local, organic and seasonal. :lmost all caterers
and florists can help you with this, and you can get educated by going to your farmers market
and asking what will be in season on your big day.
#7cor D Fet the natural beauty of your outdoor wedding shine or consider using potted plants to
adorn your indoor event D guests can take them home and transplant them, as opposed to wreaths
of cut flowers that only survive a day or two. *f your heart is set on roses, get more bang for your
buds by reusing floral arrangements from your ceremony at the reception.
"ifts and .a$ors D The "reen 3ride "uide had a wealth of resources for finding eco/friendly
favors from beeswa, candles to chocolate treats. Aor gifts, registering through the 7reen Lride
7uide allows your guests to support sustainable businesses and even donate a portion of the sales
to your favorite cause.
'ransportation D The biggest carbon footprint from any event is the transportation. Try holding
the wedding in a location central to most guests. *f thats not possible, use Car%onfund.orgs
wedding calculator to offset the travel and hotel impact.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your
Office
4na%le your power management / so your computer and monitor shut down.
Consider using e!lus"reens !C energy)sa$ing technology ) The system monitorsGminimi'es
computer and printer energy usage. #o you need to print+/ Consider saving a file on your
computer, in a flash drive or emailing it.
#ou%le)side print / 1aves paper too.
Can you carpool or transit or %ie to wor+ 1ee above.
Open up / *f you have windows you can open, use them to intelligently save energy.
'urn 8em off / 9nly use the lights you need. *f youre using your computer you may not need
your office lights on too.
Occupancy sensors / 1hut off lights in unused rooms. Letter, get your building to install
occupancy sensors.
3ring your lunch / 9r walk to the local eatery instead of driving.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your
Life
9nly %-3 of the average :mericans carbon footprint is due to their direct energy use. The other
M-3 is indirectC it comes from everything we buy and useHgoods and services. 6ay attention to
your consumption and waste habits, and youll find lots of opportunities to conserve.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Youve heard it before, but its still great advice. 5anufacturing products produces an average %/
# pounds of C9
"
for every pound of manufactured product.
Recycle your old electronic de$ices. <ecycle or sell your old
blackberry, 6:, laptop, i6ad or i6hone to YouRenew.com and help support our clean air
pro!ects.
0top your jun mail with the help of 9:pounds, a nonprofit service that contacts do'ens of
direct mailers to remove your name from their lists.
3uy locally if possi%le. 1hipping burns fuel. : E/pound package shipped by air across the
country creates &" pounds of C9
"
42 N pounds if shipped by truck8.
4at less meat. *f youre already a vegetarian, you save at least 2,--- pounds of C9
"
per year
compared to meat eaters. *f youre not a vegetarian, !ust increase the number of vegetarian meals
you eat each week by one or two. :lso, poultry is less greenhouse gas intensive than beef.
#ont waste food. 5om was right. :bout one/+uarter of all the food prepared annually in the
K.1., for e,ample, gets tossed, producing methane in landfills as well as carbon emissions from
transporting wasted food.
2fter reducing your car%on footprint, go car%on neutral %y offsetting your remaining
footprint in support of third)party $alidated car%on reduction projects. Clic here to get
started.