You may think that one person cannot make a difference - but you can! If you accept just a few of the suggestions on these pages, you'll reduce your Carbon Footprint and help make our city a healthier and happier place to live!

Here is a short list of things you can do to improve the environment.

1. Change out your light bulbs – CFLs (Compact Flourescent Light bulbs) last for years and use about 1/4th the energy of the more common incandescent bulbs.
2. Drive differently – For anyone with a recent model car, keep an eye on your gas mileage as you tour around the city. You’ll notice a lovely number as you’re on the highway. Come to a stop, where you must accelerate, and that number plummets. Also, drive over 65 and the mpg will suffer. You can easily adjust your driving to increase your mileage per tank. Warning though – the behavior is addictive!
3. Control your temperature – Older heating and cooling systems are a third less efficient that the newer models. When it’s time to replace these systems, consider a product with the “Energy Star.” But you’re probably not going to be investing in a new system any time soon. In the meantime, install and use a programmable thermostat. You can program it to minimize heating and cooling when your house is empty and have the temp ready for you when you return.
4. Your refrigerator is eating your lunch – The refrigerator is by far the single biggest consumer of electricity in the average household – older models being 50% less efficient than the newer models. What can you do? Keep an eye on the thermostat – even 1 degree can make a difference. Turn on your ‘energy saver’ feature if you have one. Clean the coils. Replace the seals when needed.
5. We’re in hot water – Your water heater is another abuser of electricity. When it’s time to replace your water heater, consider a tankless model. They heat water as it passes through a system of tubes – comes in cold, leaves hot. In the meantime, install a timer. Why heat water when you’re at work or sleeping? Fix your leaky sinks. Insulate your water heater. Run only a full load in your dishwasher. Don’t over-dry your clothes in the dryer.
6. Invest in Green Energy – Did you know you can ‘purchase’ Green Power? Well, it’s really an investment in our future, which is offered by TVA. See www.greenpowerswitch.com for more info. By signing up, you’re helping the TVA create more energy by wind, methane and solar power.
7. Buy organic, but buy local – Consider the shipping process involved in bringing that organic produce to your grocery store - and it becomes less ‘green’. Whenever you can, buy your fruit and vegetables from a farmers market or local provider. Easy Way sometimes carries locally grown produce, while at other times the same type of produce is shipped in from far away. The folks at the Farmer’s Market at the Agricenter have been open about what produce they grew and which they had to purchase elsewhere.
8. Buy Less, Do Less – In our product-driven economy, we are constantly being told that we need to buy, buy, buy. However, a lot of peace can be found by turning off the TV, the DVDs, the loud music and other disruptions that keep us from enjoying our home and family. Life calms and, guaranteed, everyone will find something to do.

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