Lifestyle

REDUCE Climate Change

See the level of CO₂ Emissions for you and your household. Then, learn how you compare to the rest of the world, and get fast and easy tips to help reduce your impact on Climate Change. CO₂ Reduction Center

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Think Globally and Act Locally. Now you can Help the Environment every time you search for anything online. Our innovative toolbar is free for you, and we make ongoing donations to save the planet for the next generation. The more that you search on the world wide web, the more that you help the world.
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There are a lot of ‘Lifestyle’ resources online to help save the environment. Our team has researched thousands of web sites, and the companies on this page and across this site are the Top Picks for Going GREEN:

Junk Mail Reduction:
GreenDimes

Eco-Friendly Home Cleaning Products:
Eco Cleaning Info
Buy Top Organic & Concentrated Products
MethodHome Products

Millions of Pre-Read Books and Free Shipping:
BetterWorldBooks

Green Home Products and Furnishings:
VivaTerra
EconsciousMarket
OrganicStyle
GreenandMore

CO2 Offset for your auto and air travel emissions footprint:
TerraPass

Natural & Fortified Drinks for your Kids:
BotBeverages

Eco-friendly ‘Mashed Potato’ silverware?
This is a great way for kids to ‘rethink’ resources. The knives, forks, and spoons are biodegradable and made from potato-starch. A great replacement for standard plastic cutlery! Potato Silverware

PLUS, compare the advantages and get even more for your money with silverware made from biodegradable sugarcane stalks! Sugarcane Silverware

PEOPLE TO WATCH

Race Car Driver Leilani Münter inspires positive change from her own Energy Star Home to Capitol Hill.
CarbonFreeGirl

Rock star and eco-pioneer Johnny Colt was the original bassist for The Black Crowes, and he is currently the bass player for Train. You may have also seen him on the show ‘Battleground Earth’ co-starring with Tommy Lee & Ludacris.
Johnny Colt

We all want to live well, and we may want to also help save the environment for ourselves and for our children...and for their children. If we can do it by saving our money, then the decision to act now just got a lot easier. The PEOPLE TO WATCH inspire us because of their energy, their ground breaking action, and the simple fact that their careers don't match the stereotype of eco-conscious lifestyles.

Our team has provided the key information across this site on how to TAKE ACTION on Self Reliance and Lifestyle opportunities. The web is loaded with information, which is often overwhelming, so we have and continue to research the most cost-effective services and products and also the best places to buy those products based on price and reliability. The overall 'Value' is the determining factor in our recommendations, and we put our money where our mouth is having used the research to determine what to buy for prototype high performance eco-houses and remodeling projects.

CO2 SCORE CARD

Save Money & REDUCE Carbon Emissions by 30%

When you save money it is often because you are using energy more efficiently. Most of the energy that we use is generated by burning fossil fuels. You’ve read about climate change and carbon dioxide emissions, and basically the more money you save, the more you also save the environment. Here is a score card to show you the impact:

To put this breakdown in perspective, an average US resident produces between 14 and 20 Tons / year (30,000 Lbs / Year) vs. the European Average of 10 Tons / year and the wordlwide average of 4 Tons / Year.

Home Energy: (Singe Family with 3-4 bedrooms)	1.8 Tons
Car Travel: (SUV or Minivan about 12,000 Miles / Year)	6.8 Tons
Air Travel: (A couple of short and long trips / Year)	1.5 Tons
Diet: (Balance of Meat, Vegetables, Carbs, etc.)	3.8 Tons
Total:	14 Tons

Action Items	Savings on CO2
Recycle just half of your household waste The little extra bit of your time dramatically reduces the need to spend energy generating and shipping new raw materials like plastics.	2,400 Lbs / Year
Adjust your thermostat just 2 degrees By moving your thermostat just 2 degrees down in the winter and up 2 degrees in the summer you can make a huge impact. Stay comfortable with a few clothing adjustments. You will also see the savings on your utility bills. See Smart Thermostat	2,000 Lbs / Year
Turn off electronic devices: Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you're not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year. You will also see the savings on your utility bills. See Standby Power Reduction	2,000 Lbs / Year
Reduce packaging garbage by 10% Avoid products with a lot of packaging. All that plastic and cardboard takes a lot of energy to fabricate and transport.	1,200 Lbs / Year
Change just 6 light bulbs Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb saves 150 Lbs of CO2 per bulb per year. You will also see the savings on your utility bills. See Compact Fluorescents	900 Lbs / Year
Install 2 Water Efficient Shower Heads: It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing low flow showerheads that save 350 Lbs of C02 each per year. You will also see the savings on your utility bills. See Shower Heads	700 Lbs / Year
Wash your clothes in cold or warm water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by just turning Down the washer setting and save 500 Lbs of C02 each per year. You will also see the savings on your utility bills. See Clothes Washer	500 Lbs / Year
Check your tires Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every kept gallon of gasoline saves 20 Lbs of CO2 Based on 12,000 miles / year at 30 MPG = 400 Gallons 3% efficiency raises it to 31 and reduces gallons to 387	260 Lbs / Year
Drive just 2 less miles a week Walk bike, carpool or take mass transit more often. Save 1 Lbs of CO2 for every mile you don't drive.	104 Lbs / Year
Plant just 2 trees: A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Since a ton has 2,000 Lbs, we can take a tree with a 50 year life, and factor in about 40 Lbs per year per tree. See Trees	80 Lbs / Year
TOTAL SAVINGS: (On Avg. US Households emit 27.3 Tons/year)	(5 Tons) 10,144 Lbs / Year