Going Green Fast

It's easy to feel helpless and frustrated in the face of daily news stories about global warming, environmental pollution and declining biodiversity. But there are simple steps each one of us can take today -- right this minute, in some cases -- to help reduce the negative impact we have on the planet.

Here are 10 things you can do today to help improve our environment and start living a greener lifestyle:

1. Go out and buy compact fluorescent lightbulbs to replace the incandescent lights in your home. It will cost you a little more upfront, but compact fluorescent lighting will both save in energy costs and lasts longer than standard lightbulbs. A single 60- to 100-watt bulb can save you $30 to $36 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
2. Turn down the heat (or don't set your air-conditioning so high). Every degree warmer you set your thermostat in the summer, and every degree cooler you leave it in the winter, will save in both energy consumption and expense -- about 2 percent cost savings per degree.
3. Make your next meal a vegetarian one. Meat production is a resource-intensive business that uses up to eight times as much fuel energy as fruit and vegetable farming. It also generates a lot of environmental pollution, including -- in the case of cattle -- the greenhouse gas methane.
4. Locate your nearest farmer's market, and make plans to shop there the next time you need groceries. You can find the farmer's markets nearest you by searching the USDA's online directory at http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm.
5. Turn off your computer when you leave work for the evening, and unplug your coffee pot after breakfast. Appliances use electricity even when they're turned off but plugged in.
6. Start saving your kitchen scraps for a compost pile instead of tossing them in the trash. Anything that's not a meat, fish or dairy product -- including coffee grounds, laundry lint, egg shells, fruit pits and vegetable peels -- can be used to create healthy compost for your home garden.
7. Buy a dryer rack for your laundry room, and use it instead of your dryer the next time you wash clothes. Running a dryer uses lots of electricity.
8. Start the habit of shopping for two. Whever you run out for lunch, or make a trip to the grocery store, ask your co-workers or neighbors if there's anything you can pick up for them as well. They'll save time and you'll help eliminate a couple of unnecessary car trips.
9. Do a little household maintenance. Check your hot-water heater to make sure it's set at 120 degrees (many are set higher, which requires more energy and raises the risk of scalding), change the air filters in your ventilation system, and vacuum the coils behind your refrigerator to make sure it's operating as efficiently as possible.
10. Subscribe to newsletters that will help keep you informed about other ways in which you can help save the planet every day. The Union of Concerned Scientists (http://ucsusa.org/) offers both an Action Network email newsletter for concerned citizens and a Green Tips newsletter for conscientious consumers. Ideal Bite (http://www.idealbite.com) sends out daily emails with green living tips and product ideas. And The Green Guide (http://www.thegreenguide.com) provides weekly newsletters on green homes, green living and environmental health.

Shirley Siluk Gregory - I've always been concerned about the environment and my impact on it: I hate to throw away anything that could come in handy someday (to ...

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