2A Work Session 2009 1109 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Appendices Appendix A -10 Steps to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint From CoolClimate.org 1. Change your commute Did you know that one third of the COz produced in the US is from the transportation of people or goods? Pick one day a week to walk, bike, take public transportation or carpool to work or when you're running errands. If possible, live close to your workplace. When driving, remember to combine several car trips into one trip and avoid idling. Additionally, you can get better fuel efficiency by following the speed limit. Exceeding the speed limit by just 5 mph during highway travel results in an average fuel economy loss of 6%. 2. Be a better consumer Did you know that the average American generates about 4.4 Ibs of trash each day? To reduce the amount of trash you generate, follow these few easy steps. Use re-usable coffee mugs and shopping bags. If you forget your mug or bag at the store, buy a new reusable mug or bag and keep the extra one in your purse or car for use the next time you're out. Alternatively, set aside $1 each time you forget your mug or bag; depending on your memory, you'll have enough funds to purchase a reusable item sooner or later. Also, reuse as many things as possible and recycle at home, work, and school. 3. Shop local The shorter the distance your food travels to your plate or that product travels to your home, the fewer greenhouse gases are produced. Declare one day a week "Local Day" and eat foods produced within 50 miles of your house. 4. Dry-up Household Water Consumption Did you know that water-related energy use consumes 19% of California's electricity, 30% of its natural gas, and 88 billion gallons of diesel fuel every year? To reduce your water consumption at home, turn off your water when it's not being used, take shorter showers, stop unseen leaks by reading your meter, install low-flow shower heads and aerators on your facet, install and use water efficient landscaping and irrigation methods (for example, plant drought tolerant plants and/or install permeable surfaces and drip irrigation systems), and use EnergyStar appliances. o~ sir fq~ Page 1 hx v e t~@`*h ~t ~