It is easy to become discouraged by the enormous scale of climate change and the realities we face if it continues. Yet, small changes can have a huge impact on global warming—small changes that can very often save us money as well.

Ten Things We Can Do

1. Check our tires monthly. Properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage by 3% to 10%. Every gallon of fuel saved keeps twenty pounds of CO2 out of our air.
2. Reduce idling. Idling = 0 miles per gallon. Idling our vehicles beyond 30 seconds burns more fuel than it takes to restart the engine.
3. Make smart transportation choices. Carpool, walk, bike or take the bus a couple of times a week or more. Combine errands into a single trip.
4. Change a light bulb. If every U.S. home replaced one light bulb with an Energy Star bulb, we would save about $1 billion in energy costs and prevent emissions equivalent to more than one million cars annually.
5. Use a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat can reduce energy costs by about $150 a year.
6. Save water, energy and money. Buying energy-efficient appliances when possible, running our dishwashers only when they are full and washing our clothes in cool water will reduce energy consumption and save us money on utility bills.
7. 
   Buy locally grown food. Much of the food in the supermarket gets trucked long distances and refrigerated for weeks. Buying locally supports our communities in addition to reducing carbon emissions.
8. Support clean energy technologies and policies. Sign up for your utility’s green power program. Ask your elected representatives to support clean energy growth.
9. Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime.
10. Spread the word. Share this brochure with family and friends.

We feel the impacts of global warming in our communities.

We cause the problem in our communities.

And we can solve it in our communities.