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Excess carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the burning of fossil fuels: oil, coal and natural gas. Obviously, your car uses gasoline, but your house and office, as well as the factory that produces our goods, and the restaurants, movie theaters and other places we use every day, use electricity and energy that comes from power plants that use fossil fuels. More than 50% of America's electricity is derived from coal, and virtually all our transportation needs are fueled by oil.

In effect, we are producing more carbon dioxide than can be absorbed in the carbon cycle. This is causing an enhanced greenhouse effect — increasing pollution and the temperature of the Earth.

The big question: "What can I do now?"
One way to start is to offset your carbon footprint by reducing a ton of carbon in another location for the emissions you cause. Offsetting your footprint allows you to become part of the solution right now! Online resources to help offset your carbon:

• www.americanforest.org
  Every dollar plants a tree. This program helps filter water, remove air pollution, sequester carbon and provide homes for wildlife.
• www.carbonfund.org
  Offset carbon emissions by buying renewable energy elsewhere.

More greenbuilding links and resources!

Everybody can do something.

Reduce the numbers!
These numbers are based on a 5-year savings from a typical 2000 - 2500 sq. ft. home, from The Carbon Buster's Home Energy Handbook, Showing Climate Change and Saving Money, by Godo Stoyke.

• Lighting:
  1 CFL light bulb = $350; 4,500 lbs CO2; 3,500 kWh of power
  Solar tubes = $108; 1,400 lbs CO2; 1,100 kWh of power
• Tankless water heaters can save 40% of water heating cost, because it heats water on demand.
• Tank water heater: If you are keeping this water heater, then install a foam section of sleeve insulation on the first 9 ft. of hot water pipe cooling from the tank for the highest payback.
• Landscaping: Plant trees on the north side of your home to lower the impact of wind reaching your house.
• Unplug any items that you aren't using during the day, especially if you are on vacation.

Small changes can add up.

More Energy Saving tips:

• Switch to a low-flow toilet to save 6,500 gallons of water a year.
• If you're using a regular showerhead, reducing your shower use by one minute will save 2,000 gallons/year. Install a low-flow showerhead.
• Open your dishwasher door before the drying cycle starts to let dishes dry naturally. Run the dishwasher only when it's full and don't pre-rinse.
• Turn it off! Turn off your home office equipment at the power source. A computer that runs 24 hours a day can use as much power as an energy-efficient refrigerator. At least turn off the monitor, which uses most of the system's energy. Unplug the charger for your cellphone. Do not trust the standby or sleep mode on your electronics.
• Keep your refrigerator's fresh food compartment at 37-40°F and the freezer section at 5°F.
• Laundry: About 80-85% of the energy used for washing clothes is to heat the water. Unless your clothes are very oily, use cold water for washing and rinsing. Switching from the hot water cycle can save $60 on your annual heating bill. A front-loading model uses less water than top-loading models. Wash only full loads and light on the soap. Air dry your clothes when possible. Avoid purchasing dry-clean-only clothing. Try to spot-clean or hand-wash the dry-clean-only items you already own. When you do use a dry cleaner, find a cleaner that uses "green" processes and reuses hangers and bags.
• Heating and Cooling: Save up to 50% of your cooking energy costs by using a microwave oven. In the summer, this will save work for your air conditioner. Use a draft stopper at door and window bottoms. Set your thermometer low in the winter and high in the summer. Use energy-saving lightbulbs.
• Change your furnace filter on a regular basis. A dirty filter will result in higher operating costs and wear-and-tear.
• Tote your own shopping bags. Less than 1% of the 380 billion plastic bags used in the U.S. each year are recycled. At the mall, avoid the shopping bags offered by retailers. They are often stuffed with tissue paper and tied with ribbons, adding to the waste (and expense). Bring your own coffee mug to the coffee shop.
• Buy locally. Check labels to see how far your food has traveled. Cheap foods from foreign countries and across the country have a real cost in greater carbon emissions and mean less fresh, ripe food.
• Skip the bottled water. Bottled water, the world's fastest growing beverage, comes with a large negative environmental impact. Streams and underground aquifers become depleted under excessive demand. The producing, bottling, packaging, storing and shipping of bottled water adds even more to its energy costs. After use, the bottles add oil-derived plastic to landfills.
• Cut down on gas by carpooling, grouping errands together, driving at a moderate pace, and keeping your car well maintained and your tires inflated properly.
• At the office: Think before you print to save paper. Print on both sides of the paper. Buy recycled paper. Reuse ink cartridges by refilling at a reputable company. Turn off your computer nightly; this will save 75% fewer kilowatts. Bring your own coffee mug.

More Landscaping "green" tips

• Use native plants in your landscaping. They're already "naturally selected" for your environment, so will use less pesticides and water resources. Incorporate Xeriscaping — use plants that can withstand drought, cut back on planting turfgrass (which is high maintenance), and install efficient irrigation systems— into your garden designs.
• Use a reel mower or electric mower to cut your lawn.
• Plant deciduous shade trees so your windows are shaded in the summer.
• For a natural windbreak, plant evergreen trees to block winter winds.
• Light your landscaping with solar-powered lights.
• Start composting. Compost is a cheap soil amendment and can replace commercial fertilizers. How to make compost: www.compostguide.com
• Plant a kitchen garden.
• Use natural products and techniques when landscaping.