More Environmentally-Friendly Tips

As promised last week, here is another installment in the ongoing Wednesday series of simple ways to help keep the planet healthy.

• Stop drinking bottled water. I saw a great commentary on bottled water recently. The writer said that it was a perfect example of brilliant marketers creating a need. And it's true. Most of us can't really tell the difference between what comes out of the tap versus the bottle. And if you look at the bottles closely, you'll see that most bottled waters are actually nothing more than filtered water from "municipal sources." So, don't be afraid to tell your waiter that tap water is just fine. And if your palate is so sophisticated that you really can tell the difference, buy a filter for your faucet and use a reusable bottle. You're helping to eliminate the plastic used to create all those bottles, and also the pollution put into the air by the trucks delivering them around the world.
• Keep your tires properly inflated. If all Americans would heed the guidelines clearly printed on the outside of their tires and make sure that they stayed properly inflated, we'd use four million fewer gallons of gas and have 30 percent fewer tires in our landfills every year.
• Turn your thermostats up by two degrees in the summer and down by two degrees in the winter. Go right now to your thermostat and turn it up a couple of degrees. You're not likely to feel the difference, but will see the difference in your energy bills. And try and get in the habit of turning up several more degrees at night and when you're not home. No sense in spending the money on A/C when you're not truly using it.
• Use fans. You'll notice the thermostat difference even less if you install a ceiling fan or two or put a couple of standing fans around your house. The moving air makes your body think it's actually cooler than it is. Just make sure and turn off when you're not in the room; they're useless unless your skin is there to feel the breeze.
• Visit a store like this. If you're an advanced student, and REALLY want to make a difference, check out a store like Current Energy here in Dallas. You're likely to have something similar in your hometown where you can get fluorescent light bulbs, books filled with energy-saving tips, or even items like flashlights that are powered by giving them a good shake.

Won't you do your part and commit to adopting one of these this week and beyond?