Top Ways to Fight Global Warming
Some not-so-inconvenient steps you can take to combat climate change.
4. A better bulb. Screw in compact fluorescent bulbs. They lose less energy as heat than traditional bulbs do and can last up to 10 times as long, which means you can pass them on to your kids when you're gone. Recycling meets responsible parenting! To reward yourself, spend the money you save on bulk items rather than leaving it in your will.
3. The Energy Star. If you're not into acquiring a "recycled" appliance, buy one with the Energy Star label. These products are government-certified juice sippers that can slash your electricity bill by as much as 30 percent, depending on just how inefficient your old appliances are.
2. Get with the program. Have trouble remembering to ease up on the AC when you leave the house? Get a thermostat to remember for you. A programmable thermostat costs about $100 but will pay for itself in less than a year.
1. Get active. Getting active has never required less effort. The best way to fight global warming is to let your representatives in Congress know you support federal action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the old days, such ambition would have required organizing your thoughts into a letter or making a phone call. Not any more. Websites by green lobbying groups like Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense carry prewritten petitions on their website. When you plug in your name and address, they even find your representative for you! You can make demands of your elected leaders without even knowing who they are! Then there's the matter of casting a vote for the candidate whose solutions you like most. There. That wasn't so inconvenient, was it?
advertisement
