Climate Change > Carbon Smart > What you can do

What you can do...

• At Work
• At Home
• Participation Programs

 ...At Work

Commute smarter

• Walking and cycling are the greenest and healthiest options
• Take public transportation If you must drive, carpool, vanpool, or car share whenever possible
• Encourage your employer to implement a telecommuting program

Save energy

• Turn off all electronics and lights when not in use
• Plug computers, monitors, and other electronics into a surge protector and turn off at the end of each day
• Make sure you enable energy saving settings on all equipment
• Unplug anything with an AC adaptor, like cell phone chargers
• Pick healthier options
• Choose foods that are local, organic and sustainable for meetings, lunches and catered events
• Get rid of toxic cleaners and personal products in your office kitchens and bathrooms
• Take the stairs instead of the elevators

Waste less

• Go electronic instead of printing hard copies
• If you must print, print double-sided documents
• Switch to cloth towels and napkins in kitchens and bathrooms
• Compost kitchen scraps and use it for plants in and around your office
• Use durable cups instead of bottled water
• Recycle as much waste as possible including used printer cartridges and old electronics

“Cool” teens do their part: Students from Redmond High School conducted an “Eco-Office” audit of Ecology’s Northwest Regional Office in Bellevue. Their findings will help the agency further reduce carbon emissions from office employees and building operations. The teens are involved in the Cool School Challenge program, which started with an effort by Mike Town, a Redmond High teacher and winner of the national Green Teacher award. Cool School Challenge continues to spread throughout the nation.

> > Learn more about how to conduct an audit.

 ...At Home

Drive less

• More than half of our CO2 comes from vehicles, so use public transit, carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, or telework from home if possible. Make environmentally-informed decisions when buying a new vehicles (www.fueleconomy.gov)
• Whenever possible combine activities and errands into one trip

Stop idling

• Don't idle your vehicle engine if you are stopped for more than 10 seconds (unless you are in traffic)
• Turn off your engine when you are picking up your children at school or waiting in a drive-through line. This cuts fuel use and air pollution

Weatherproof your home

• Install storm windows and close curtains at night to reduce heat loss and energy use
• Upgrade insulation in walls, basements and attics to save up to 30 percent of your energy bill
• Conduct a home energy audit

Change your lights

• Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs to eliminate 150 pounds or more of CO2 for each bulb per year
• Turn off lights when you leave a room

Cut hot water use

• Turn your hot water heater thermostat down to 120 degrees and wrap your hot water heater in insulation
• Use low-flow showerheads and wash clothes in cold or warm water
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only with full loads
• Repair all toilet and faucet leaks

Heat and Cool Smartly

• Moving your thermostat down just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer could eliminate about 2,000 pounds of CO2 a year by reducing power use
• Install a programmable thermostat for best efficiency
• Turn the heat down before sleep at night or when leaving the house
• Have a professional furnace tune-up annually
• Clean air conditioning air filters as recommended by the manufacturer

Turn off power

• Some TV models use more electricity when they're off than when they're operating
• Plug appliances into a surge protector; switch off the surge protector after you turn off the appliances
• When you buy new appliances or televisions, look for power-saving Energy Star ratings
• Purchase Green Power from your utility to support clean, renewable electric power.
• For more efficient, clean energy, consider an energy-efficient furnace, solar hot water heater, geothermal heat pump, or solar roof top panels

Green gardening

• Trees and bushes can reduce winter heating costs by 40 percent and summer cooling costs by up to 50 percent. Just three properly placed trees can save homeowners between $100 and $250 a year in heating and cooling costs, according to some estimates
• Only water plants when needed, and during the coolest part of the day
• Use a push lawn mower if possible, otherwise use a mulching lawn mower to reduce grass clippings
• Compost food and yard waste

Recycle and reuse

• Recycle your waste newsprint, cardboard, glass, metal, and recyclable plastic containers
• Reuse items instead of discarding them, donate them to charity, or sell them. It takes less energy to make products from recycled goods than from new raw materials

Shop smart

• Buy products with less packaging and reusable or recyclable packaging. That means less energy is needed to produce packaging such as cardboard, which in turn reduces fewer oxygen-producing trees are cut down.