Earth Day is EVERY day!!!

This is some research I did & put together during my time on the Earth Hour Committee. I am sharing this in honour of our Earth, as a reminder of how we can each "GO GREEN" every day!
It's easier than you may think! 

Until next time... 

HAPPY EARTH - EVERY DAY!!! Chris S. (^^^)

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1. Recycle: Follow your municipalities recycling guidelines and sort your metals, plastics, glasses and papers on a daily basis and bring them to the curb on recycling pick-up day. As well, try to recycle when you're out by tossing things in the right bins on the street or in restaurants or bringing home things like empty water bottles (on those days when you've forgotten your re-usable bottle). Try to use less as well - buy products that come in minimal packaging and cook from scratch to lessen the garbage you create.

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2. Compost: Get a composter from your municipality, or build your own. Check with the Composting Council of Canada for tips on setting it up. Put your food scraps such as vegetable peelings and rusty lettuce leaves, along with grass, twigs and leaves into your composter on a regular basis. Eventually, you'll get rich, dark compost that you can spread on your garden as an all-natural fertilizer.

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3. Shop with reusable bags: Start taking your own bags with you to the store. Many grocery stores now sell their own bags, and you can also use old plastic bags and backpacks (great if you're walking to the store). As well, opt for products with minimal packaging to create even less garbage from your weekly shop.

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4. Purchase second-hand clothing: Instead of heading to a chain store, find a vintage or thrift store in your community. You'll be surprised at how many quality items you can find, and how little you'll have to spend. And when you are no longer in love with your once prized sweater, give back by donating your pre-loved items to a charity shop like the Salvation Army or Goodwill.

If you are looking to freshen up your wardrobe, but you don't want to spend a dime, invite your friends over for a clothing swap. If everyone brings a bag of clothes, you'll have a great time trading items. When the fun is over, the unclaimed clothing can be dropped off at a charity shop.

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5. Eat less meat: Trim down the meat in your diet by half. Replace the protein with beans such as chick peas and kidney beans, which work well in stews and soups. Try tofu in stir-fries. Put vegetarian burgers on the barbecue. If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, get a vegetarian cookbook or search for recipes online.

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6. Become a vegetarian: Replace the protein you typically get from meat with beans such as chick peas and kidney beans, which work well in stews and soups. Try tofu in stir-fries. Put vegetarian burgers on the barbecue. If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, get a vegetarian cookbook or search for recipes online.

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7. Eat local foods: What is local and sustainable food?

Local food is grown close to where it's being consumed, so it doesn't travel far distances to reach our plates. When food is transported over long distances - especially if by planes or trucks that burn fossil fuel energy - it contributes to global warming and pollution. Consider that the average food product travels 2,000 km before it reaches your home. Now multiply that by each food item you eat each day! That's a lot of fuel, which also means a lot of greenhouse gas emissions. Although local food isn't always available due to seasonality, it's all about doing your best. Every choice you make has an environmental impact and can help lower your carbon footprint.

Sustainable food is not always local, but is produced in a socially responsible manner, with lower impact on the environment. Some sustainable food practices even help protect and enhance wildlife habitats and biodiversity. Look for products like sustainable coffee beans. Although they may travel thousands of miles to reach your table in Canada, coffee is grown on perennial bushes that don't require plowing, which keeps soil carbon stored in the ground. They do not require refrigeration until they're roasted, which means they can travel in more efficient vessels like trains. Other environmental issues to consider when shopping for food include, waste, packaging and recycling.

Local sustainable food: When local sustainable choices are not available, consider purchasing either local or sustainable food to make greener shopping decisions.

~*~ HOW TO DO IT ~*~

Read the signs closely in the produce section of your grocery store and opt for fruits and vegetables that are grown either in your home province, or in Canada. When you purchase packaged foods, choose those made in Canada over U.S. or imported foods. Look for recognized eco-labels and certification. Also, try foods made from small, local companies. Better still, visit a nearby farmers' market on weekends or sign up with a local community supported agriculture program to get produce direct from the grower. If you live in or are driving through a rural community, stop and buy food from roadside stands or at the end of a farmer's lane.

NOT JUST FOR Earth Hour:

1. Unplug your chargers: Make sure your electronics - laptop, cell phone, PDA, battery charger - do their charging up during the day so you can unplug the charger when you leave each night. If you have numerous chargers you rely on, consider putting them on a power bar and snapping it off each night.

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2. Use power management for your computer and monitor: Through the Control Panel on a PC, or System Preferences on a Mac, you can configure your computer - or the computer at a shared workstation - to go into various power-down modes when it's not in use. There are also settings to control your computer's monitor.

It's recommended you set your computer to go into standby or hibernate after 30 to 60 minutes of inactivity. You can set your monitor to go into sleep mode after just five to 20 minutes of inactivity.

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3. Turn off your monitor: Your monitor should have a power switch that you can easily access. After you've shut down your computer's hard drive, simply turn the monitor off too. Or, if it's on a power bar, flip that off when you leave. You can also just click off your monitor when you leave your workstation to go out for lunch or attend a meeting. Avoid using a screen saver at any time in the day.

If your company is investing in new equipment, request an LCD monitor. Select a screen that's the smallest possible for your needs. As well, suggest your company seek out products with the ENERGY STAR® logo.

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4. Turn off your computer: Make it part of your routine: when you tidy up your papers and grab your coat at the end of your work day, take an extra moment to properly shut down your computer. Do this by clicking on your computer's shut down mode in the operating system, not by merely switching the hard drive off. Be sure you've saved all your documents before you shut down.

If you have a shared workstation and your colleagues agree to do this action with you, arrange that the last person to leave will shut things down. Consider shutting off your workstation's power bar as well, since computers and other appliances can use power even when turned off.

If your company is investing in new computers, suggest it purchase desktops or laptops that carry the ENERGY STAR® logo.

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5. PLAY GAMES: Board games or dinner by candlelight, neighbourhood walks, or stories around a campfire - use your imagination or let the kids get creative! Having a lights-out hour become part of your regular routine is a great way to do something nice for yourself and the environment.

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HOME

1. Use Green Power: Find a provider in your area that offers green electricity. When you sign on with a green electricity company such as Bullfrog green power that is drawn from sources such as wind turbines and low-impact hydro facilities that cause minimal harm to animal and plant life. This will cost you a little bit more than regular electricity from the power grid.

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2. Join a "peak saver" program: Many utility providers in Canada have a "peak saver" program that you can sign up with. The utility will install a special thermostat in your home that connects remotely so the utility can power down your air conditioner during peak usage times in summer heat waves. Usually, this power down happens between noon and 6 pm on weekdays.

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3. Insulate your home: Either hire a professional or use your own two hands to better insulate your home. The most effective place to put in an extra barrier is the attic. Turn next to your basement, and then to wall insulation in the rest of your house (this is easiest if you're already doing a renovation). Find out where insulation will most impact your home's heating and cooling by getting a professional energy audit. You can find a list of qualified energy auditors in your area by entering the first three digits of your postal code here.To save on heating in the winter, put your thermostat down a degree and wear sweaters and slippers in the house. As well, use area rugs on bare floors. Clean or replace the air filter in your furnace monthly to increase its efficiency.

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4. Get a home energy audit: Hire a Natural Resource Canada-approved home auditor to assess where your home is losing heat and wasting energy. You can find an auditor through Natural Resources Canada or ecoEnergy. The audit will cost you around $500, but some provinces will cover part of these costs. An auditor will do a blower door test to find air leaks and do a detailed energy evaluation of your home. You'll get a report that shows you where your energy dollars are being spent and what you can do to improve your home's efficiency. As well, you'll get an energy efficiency rating to show how your house compares with others in your region. It is then your choice of which retrofits to undertake. These may include adding insulation to your walls or attic, weatherstripping doors and windows or replacing the ventilation system or replacing furnace, air conditioner, windows or doors with ENERGY STAR® upgrades.

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5. Equip your home with smart controls: Sign up for a smart controls system with a provider to get your home fitted with electronic load controller devices. These communicate with a computer to turn on or off lights, hot water heaters, window-mounted air conditioners, pool and spa pumps and anything else in the home that uses electricity. Some devices even allow you to monitor and control parameter remotely.

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6. Get programmable thermostats: Visit your hardware store or home building centre to find an electronic, programmable thermostat to replace your existing conventional model. These sell for under $100. Then program it to reduce the heat a few degrees when everyone is sleeping at night and also when you're away from the house during the day. You can change the settings for weekends and with the press of a button lower the temperature when you're away for a few days. It also operates with the air conditioner, so you can raise the temperature during the day or at night when you're likely to open windows instead. Be cautious with your old, conventional thermostat, as it does contain mercury. Discard it safely through your municipality's toxic waste disposal program.To save on heating in the winter, turn your thermostat down a degree and wear sweaters and slippers in the house. As well, use area rugs on bare floors. Clean or replace the air filter in your furnace monthly to increase its efficiency.

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7. Draft-proof your home: Prevent warm or cold air leaks around your window and doors by applying weather-stripping or caulking to windows, and by putting weather-stripping along the side and the top of exterior doors. Baseboards on outside walls leak air too, so prevent this by using paintable or clear caulking along the top and bottom seams, or take the baseboard off to caulk between the wall and the floor. Install electrical outlet gaskets behind plugs and wall switches on your outside walls to keep them insulated. Your attic might be a source of heat loss as well, so be sure your attic hatch is weather-stripped. If your windows are getting old, consider replacing them with energy-saving models. You can check for air leaks around your house yourself by using incense (it'll either glow red or the smoke will trail towards the leak), or get a professional energy audit that makes you eligible for government rebates. To save on heating in the winter, turn your thermostat down a degree and wear sweaters and slippers in the house. As well, use area rugs on bare floors. Clean or replace the air filter in your furnace monthly to increase its efficiency.

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8. Retire the Beer Fridge: Contact your local utility or environmental group that take old appliances and unload your second fridge. If you feel you really can't live without an extra fridge for drinks, get a compact one with an ENERGY STAR® symbol on it.

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9. Install ceiling fans: Take out your overhead lights and replace them with ceiling fans, particularly on the upper floors of your house. Choose a fan with the lowest electricity rating possible. Be sure the fan is blowing air downward in summer, and upwards for winter. In summer, set your air conditioner on as high a temperature as you can, ideally around 24 or 25 degrees Celsius. As well, keep blinds down to prevent the sun from heating up your house and keep the lights off, as they warm things up, too.

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10. Install a low-flow showerhead: Buy a low-flow showerhead for as little as $15 and either install it yourself (it's a simple task), or hire a professional. As well, take short showers in place of baths, and avoid running the water in the bathroom while you're shaving or brushing your teeth.

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11. Wash clothes in cold water: Simply adjust the settings on your washing machine to wash and rinse your clothes in cold water. No need for special detergents. As well, save on water by running only full loads in your machine.

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12. Hang dry your clothes 100%: Rig up a clothesline in your backyard, and equip your laundry room with dry racks, hangers and even a small line. Hang up your clothes to air dry as often as you can. Your clothes will dry more successfully if you wash your clothes early in the morning and leave them on the line for the entire day. If you don't like the crunchy texture of air-dried clothing, put the load in the dryer to fluff for five minutes to soften them up.When you do use your dryer, always clean the lint filter, as this can increase energy use by 30 per cent. Run loads back-to-back, as energy goes into warming up the dryer each time you begin. Avoid opening the door, as it takes 5 to 10 minutes for it to warm up to full heat again and use the cool-down cycle to take advantage of residual heat to dry your clothes.

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13. Use a push lawn mower: Retire your old gas mower through a trade in program (offered by some retailers and provincial or municipal governments during lawn-cutting season) or dispose of it safely according your town's guidelines. Push mowers sell for under $200 at hardware and home building centres. New push mowers are not as heavy as those made in the past, so you should be able to do your lawn in the same amount of time.

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14. Get CFL light bulbs: Stock up on various styles of CFL bulbs from your hardware or home improvement store and start replacing your bulbs as they burn out. Or, rotate bulbs in your house to put CFLs in sockets that you use frequently and for longer than 15 minutes at a time. While CFL bulbs work for a long time, be cautious when they do burn out, as they contain a small amount of mercury. Discard them safely through your municipality's toxic waste disposal program or take-back programs at participating retailers. Even with these more environmentally friendly bulbs, it is still important to use the lowest wattage possible in each and every socket in your home and to turn off all lights that are not in use.

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15. Replace your light fixture with an ENERGY STAR version: ENERGY STAR specifications have been extended to lighting fixtures in Canada. Check out the selection at your lighting or home building store - there are numerous styles on the market today, including built-in lights and table and floor lamps.

ENERGY STAR fixtures come in two main types: fluorescent and LED. This new generation of fluorescent fixtures look a lot like the incandescent styles you have in your home already, including traditional table and floor lamps and mounted fixtures such as pendants, regular ceiling fixtures, chandeliers and those appropriate for outdoor use.

LED fixtures include desk lamps and hard-wired styles for under cabinetry and recessed pot lighting. Outdoor varieties include porch, walkway and stair lighting. LED decorative light strings for patios in summertime and holiday lights for winter have become very popular.

While you might not want to replace all the lighting in your home, start with the fixtures you use the most. And install ENERGY STAR qualified products when you're doing a renovation.

Be mindful when you dispose of your old lighting fixtures. While regular lamps and chandeliers can be safely donated or recycled, fluorescent fixtures contain mercury. Call your city for information on how to get rid of them safely.

To be sure your new lights - and old - are working at maximum efficiency, keep fixtures and bulbs clean, as dusts reduce light output.

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16. Get low-flow toilets: Look at your hardware or home building store for a toilet that uses 6 litres per flush. You may want to have it professionally installed. This should cost you around $200, depending on the type and style of the toilet you buy. You can usually dispose of your old toilet by putting it out with your regular garbage, just be sure to detach the bowl from the tank.

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17. Replace your television with an ENERGY STAR qualified version: Look for the blue ENERGY STAR logo on the TV or in the catalogue when you shop for a new television (stores will often print the logo right in sale flyers and catalogues as well). There are ENERGY STAR logos on a range of new technology TVs, including plasma and LCD screens, and new types are being given the rating all the time. Be careful with those new plasma TVs, as some of them can use as much energy as your refrigerator so if you want to go high-tech, think LCD. Avoid putting your TV in the landfill. Instead, look around for government programs or environmental groups that recycle e-waste.

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18. Replace your dvd player with an ENERGY STAR qualified version: Look for the ENERGY STAR logo when you shop for a new DVD player (stores will often print the logo right in sale flyers and catalogues as well). These players are often equipped with the latest features, including progressive scan. Avoid putting your DVD player in the landfill. Instead, look around for government programs or environmental groups that recycle e-waste.

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19. Replace your dish washer with an ENERGY STAR qualified appliance: Look for the ENERGY STAR symbol when you shop for a new dishwasher (stores will often print the logo right in sale flyers and catalogues as well). With your new dishwasher, be sure to run it only with full loads of dishes, and avoid using the heat-dry, rinse-hold and pre-rinse features. Select air dry, as it uses the least energy.

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20. Replace your refridgerator with an ENERGY STAR qualified appliance: Look for the ENERGY STAR symbol when you shop for a new refrigerator (stores will often print the logo right in sale flyers and catalogues as well). If you can't find it, ask the sales person.

When deciding what to do with the old unit, placing it in the basement as a second fridge will not save you any energy - in fact it will double your energy load. Not only will you need power to operate your new appliance, but you'll also be spending a lot more on electricity to keep that extra container of food or beverages cold. Better to recycle the appliance. See if there is a collection program in your city or community to collect and responsibly recycle appliances. When installing your new fridge, place it away from ovens, dishwashers and direct sunlight. Leave a space between the fridge and the wall and keep the condenser coils clean so it will run efficiently. Keep the fridge temperature between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius, and your freezer at -17.

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21. Replace your clothes washer with an ENERGY STAR qualified appliance: Look for the ENERGY STAR symbol when you shop for a new washing machine (stores will often print the logo right in sale flyers and catalogues as well). Avoid putting your old washer in the landfill, instead, look around for charitable or environmental groups that are collecting old appliances to recycle them. Try to run your washer with full loads and use cold wash and rinse. Wash in cold and select the high spin speed or extended spin option to get your clothes as dry as possible.

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22. Replace your window A/C with an ENERGY STAR version: Look for the ENERGY STAR logo when you shop for a new air conditioner (stores will often print the logo right in sale flyers and catalogues as well). Measure your room before you buy; most people get a unit too large for the room which means they operate inefficiently, so have a salesperson help you get the right one. Avoid putting your old air conditioner in the landfill as it contains toxic chemicals. Instead, turn it in to Keep Cool, a project of the Clean Air Foundation, which collects old air conditioners and gives you a $25 coupon for a new, more energy efficient one. Use as little nergy as possible with a new air conditioner by keeping blinds, shades and drapes closed during the hottest part of the day, and keep lights off that you're not using, as they generate heat.

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23. Replace your central A/C with an ENERGY STAR qualified unit: Look for the blue ENERGY STAR logo when you shop for a new air conditioner (stores will often print the logo right in sale flyers and catalogues as well). Have it installed properly by a qualified tradesperson. Use as little energy as possible with a new air conditioner by keeping blinds, shades and drapes closed during the hottest part of the day, and keep lights off that you're not using, as they generate heat. Be sure your house is energy efficient by weatherproofing your home and making sure your ducts don't leak.

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24. Replace your windows with ENERGY STAR versions: Look for the blue ENERGY STAR logo when you shop for new windows for your home. Assess if your home needs improved windows by first getting a professional home energy audit. ENERGY STAR windows are built better, with double or triple glazing, insulated frames and better airtightness. Instead of throwing away your old windows, consider donating them to an organization such as Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. Check out ReStore's web page to find a store in your area. Have your new windows properly installed by a professional to be sure there are no leaks. Apply caulking or weather stripping around your windows as well to be sure you're not losing any heating or cooling through gaps. To further save on heating in the winter, put your thermostat down a degree and wear sweaters and slippers in the house. As well, use area rugs on bare floors. Clean or replace the air filter in your furnace monthly to increase its efficiency.

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25. Replace your doors with ENERGY STAR versions: Look for the blue ENERGY STAR logo when you shop for new doors for your home. Assess if your home needs improved doors by first getting a professional home energy audit. ENERGY STAR doors are built better with better insulated cores and more airtightness. Apply caulking or weather stripping around your doors as well to be sure you're not losing any heating or cooling through gaps. Instead of throwing away your old doors consider donating them to an organization such as Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. Check out ReStore's web page to find a store in your area. To further save on heating in the winter put your thermostat down a degree and wear sweaters and slippers in the house. As well use area rugs on bare floors. Clean or replace the air filter in your furnace monthly to increase its efficiency.

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26. Get a high efficiency furnace: Assess the age and efficiency level of your current gas furnace and consider upgrading to a high-efficiency model. Conventional furnaces have an efficiency range of 55 to 68 per cent, mid-efficiency furnaces work in the 78 to 82 per cent range while high-efficiency furnaces operate at 90 to 98 per cent. However, if you have an older oil furnace, you still might be able to get it upgraded to work at as much as 80 per cent efficiency, just ask your technician. To save on heating in the winter, lower your thermostat one degree and wear sweaters and slippers in the house. As well, use area rugs on bare floors. Clean or replace the air filter in your furnace monthly to increase its efficiency.

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27. Solar water heating: If you are interested in installing a solar water heater, begin by doing research to verify that your home has adequate sunlight, and to determine where to place the collector panels. Visit www.cansia.ca to find a qualified installer of home solar panels in your area.

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WORK/ DRIVING
1. Use E-billing: Many companies that offer you services are eager to switch you over to e-billing. Instead of getting a paper bill, you'll get it via email or through that company's web site. There are also online resources such as epostTM from Canada Post, where you can view, pay and store multiple bills all in one secure online location with no service fees. They'll even send you notifications to ensure you never miss a payment. It's the convenient, environmentally friendly way to manage your bills - and it's completely free.

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2. Work from home: Discuss with your employer the opportunities to work from home either part time or full time. Depending on your job, a phone line, a good computer and high-speed Internet hook up should be all you need. There can often be fewer interruptions at home and you may find you will get more work done. If you're already set up, it means that you can also stay home and be productive on snowy winter days or when the kids are home sick.

To learn more about it, including best practices for setting it up at your workplace, consult the Bell Virtual office solution.

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3. Turn off your desk lamp: Simply turn off your lamp at your workstation when you leave each night and on weekends, or plug it into a power bar you switch off every night.

As well, make sure you and your workplace are using as low energy a light bulb as possible. Most desk lamps use LED lights. But if yours uses a traditional incandescent bulb, ask your boss to switch your bulb to a CFL bulb. And since dust reduces light output, keep your fixtures dust-free.

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4. Choose not to own a car: Walk, bike or take public transit to your destination. Most Canadian cities offer bus routes, and bike lanes are increasingly popular with commuters choosing two wheels instead of four. And you don't need to take a car to the corner store for a jug of milk. When you've got two feet and a heartbeat the world is your oyster!

It's true that we have been building our communities around cars for the last fifty years, so living car-free won't work for everyone (yet). But especially if you are an urban-dweller, it may not be as hard as you think. The occasional car rental or taxi can fill the car-niche in your life at much lower cost than owning a vehicle.

If you're not ready to take the plunge quite yet, why not try parking the car for a week or a month and giving it a trial run. You may find you like it.

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5. Share a car: If you live in a major Canadian city, chances are there's a car sharing company in town. You can find out through CarSharing.net a non-profit group. Some services ask for a monthly or annual fee, and then usually you pay by the day or hour to use a car. Often, insurance and even gas is included in the fee. You just have to reserve your vehicle in advance by phone or Internet and then go pick it up (most companies have parking lots across the city). It's ideal if you only need your car for occasional weekend trips, special nights out and semi-regular excursions to the grocery or home improvement store. When you do drive, accelerate and brake smoothly, use cruise control when you can and avoid being aggressive behind the wheel. Stick to the speed limit and use the air vents and windows instead of the air conditioning.

CarShare: http://communitycarshare.ca/grandriver/about-carshare/

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6. Cycle or walk instead of driving: Depending on how far you are travelling, and the weather, consider lacing up your sneakers or getting on your bike for a carbon-free trip. If you walk, be sure to wear those comfortable shoes (you can always change later) and layer up in the colder weather. If you're carrying a lot with you, wear a comfortable backpack. To bike, be sure to wear a helmet, and equip your bike with a bell and a light if you'll be out after dark. A tune up - which will cost you under $100, still much less than doing anything to your car - will make your ride safer and easier. Always follow the rules of the road when you bike, use arm signals and map out your route to take the least busy roads or bike lanes.

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7. Drive less: When you're shopping, going to a movie, visiting a friend or taking the kids to and from school, choose an alternative form of transportation to your car. Walk or bike to closer destinations, and take public transit when things are farther away. When you do drive, accelerate and brake smoothly, use cruise control when you can and avoid being aggressive behind the wheel. Stick to the speed limit and use the air vents and windows instead of the air conditioning.

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8. Carpool: Either find a group of people on your own who want to share rides to work, or register with Carpool Zone, a free service that helps you organize a carpool anywhere in Canada. Once you get a group, you decide on the rules such as where and when pickups will occur, whether or not you'll have music in the car, when you'll take turns driving and whether or not certain members need to be reimbursed for expenses.When it's your turn to drive, accelerate and brake smoothly, use cruise control when you can and avoid being aggressive behind the wheel. Stick to the speed limit and use the air vents and windows instead of the air conditioning.

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9. Reduce idling: Simply turn off your car anytime you are stopped, except in traffic. When you first start your car, let it idle for no more than 30 seconds - that's all it needs. Avoid driving quickly and accelerating rapidly for the first five kilometres to let your car's components warm up. If starting in the winter has become difficult for your car, get a block heater. Avoid using a remote car starter, as it encourages you to start up your car much earlier than you need to.

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10. Keep your tires properly inflated: Every month, check the tire pressure of all your tires, including your spare, with a good quality pressure gauge. Just looking at them is not enough to ensure they're properly inflated. In winter, cold air decreases tire pressure, so you may want to check them more frequently. As well, have your tires aligned once a year. Every 20,000 km, or when you feel a vibration, have your tires balanced. Also, rotate your tires regularly. Look at your tires frequently to be sure there's no embedded objects such as glass or stones in them, and to monitor the wear of the treads - if they're worn down the tires will need to be replaced. When you drive, accelerate and brake smoothly, use cruise control when you can and avoid being aggressive behind the wheel. Stick to the speed limit and use the air vents and windows instead of the air conditioning.

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11. Buy a more fuel-efficient car: When you go shopping to replace your old vehicle, consider its fuel efficiency, not just its looks. Evaluate your top choices with Natural Resource Canada's Fuel Consumption Guide, which rates cars on how much gas they use in the city, on the highway, and annually on average. Generally speaking, lighter cars with small engines use less gas and large cars with big engines, such as SUVs and trucks, use the most. Hybrids - which use a combination of gasoline and mostly self-generated electricity - use very little fuel. Consider donating your old car to Car Heaven, a program set up by the Clear Air Foundation that collects old cars free of charge and ensures they're recycled and reused as much as possible.When you do drive, accelerate and brake smoothly, use cruise control when you can and avoid being aggressive behind the wheel. Stick to the speed limit and use the air vents and windows instead of the air conditioning.

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12. Take transit to work: If your city or town has adequate public transit, take the bus, subway, train or ferry to work. You may have to leave a little more time for your commute, but it's less stressful (and safer) to sit and ride than be behind the wheel. Consider buying a transit pass - you can save money and the government of Canada offers a tax credit. For instance, if you buy a $100 monthly pass, you can get $186 deducted off your income tax.

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13. Fly less for local business: Think of some creative ways to limit your business air travel in Canada this year. Skip a conference, communicate via telephone or the web with colleagues, or ship or mail materials to clients. If you must go, try driving - preferably with a group of colleagues - or taking the train.

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14. Teleconference with nearby colleagues: Analyze the purpose of upcoming business meetings and see if teleconferencing might be an effective alternative. If you just need to hear each other, a conference call can be set up simply - and inexpensively - by your telephone provider. Requiring only a computer and headphones, web conferencing via the Internet allows you to see your colleagues, share and edit documents, just like you were at the same desk. Video conferencing offers participants a type of personal contact, similar to what occurs in a face-to-face meeting. These solutions are far less expensive than air travel, and you'll save money by saving time as well.

To find out how much greenhouse gas you can avoid by using conferencing tools, consult Bell's Green Meeting Calculator.

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15. Fly less for North American Business: Think of some creative ways to limit your business air travel in North America this year. Skip a conference, communicate via telephone or the web with colleagues, or ship or mail materials to clients.

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16. Teleconference with colleagues in North America: Analyze the purpose of upcoming business meetings and see if teleconferencing might be an effective alternative. If you just need to hear each other, a conference call can be set up simply - and inexpensively - by your telephone provider. Requiring only a computer and headphones, a web conferencing via the Internet allows you to actually see your colleagues, share and edit documents, just like you were at the same desk. Video conferencing offers participants a type of personal contact, similar to what occurs in a face-to-face meeting. These solutions are far less expensive than air travel, and you'll save money by saving time as well.

To find out how much greenhouse gas you can avoid by using conferencing tools, consult Bell's green meeting calculator.

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17. Fly less for oversea business: Think of some creative ways to limit your overseas business air travel this year. Skip a conference, communicate via telephone or the web with colleagues, or ship or mail materials to clients.

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18. Teleconference with overseas colleagues: Analyze the purpose of upcoming business meetings and see if teleconferencing might be an effective alternative. If you just need to hear each other, a conference call can be set up simply - and inexpensively - by your telephone provider. Requiring only a computer and headphones, a web conferencing via the Internet allows you to actually see your colleagues, share and edit documents, just like you were at the same desk. Video conferencing offers participants a type of personal contact, similar to what occurs in a face-to-face meeting. These solutions are far less expensive than air travel, and you'll save money by saving time as well.

To find out how much carbon dioxide you can avoid by using conferencing tools, consult Bell's green meeting calculator.

I do hope this helps.
Chris S. (*@^@*)