How to Lower My Household's Carbon Footprint

Log on to one of the many websites equipped with a free carbon footprint calculator. Run the numbers and calculate your household's carbon footprint. Pinpoint ways of cutting down your energy consumption applicable to your lifestyle.

Eat less meat by becoming a part-time vegetarian for a few days a week. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization website, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions than the total amount of CO2 generated by motorized transport.

Use green electricity. Find out if your local utility company offers a co-operative plan for supplying green electricity to your household; this may cost a little more, but the added expense will be offset by the amount of money saved by buying less meat and consuming less energy.

Stop using your tumble dryer; these appliances gobble up energy. Help save the planet by using free wind and solar energy. Hang your laundry on a clothes line to dry.

Insulate your home. Consult a reputable insulation contractor for cost-effective ways of draught-proofing your home and improving your household insulation. There may be an initial expense, but you will save money on heating bills in the long run.

Join a car pool, not only for commuting to work and back, but also for ferrying your kids back and forth to school and other activities. If there isn't one in your neighborhood, organize one.

Install faucet aerators, water saving shower heads and high efficiency toilets throughout your home. These components can reduce household water consumption by up to 50 percent; if you can't afford to install new toilets, put a brick in every toilet tank in your home to reduce flushing time. Using less water not only cuts down your utility bills, but it reduces the amount of energy consumed by the pumping station.

Use the shower, not the tub -- and take shorter showers. You use far less water by showering, and changing your bathing habits slightly will reduce your water consumption even further.

Don't fly unless you have no other choice. Airlines are a huge contributor of ozone depleting CO2.

Install Energy Star approved fluorescent light bulbs throughout your home and turn off lights when not in use.

Unplug unused televisions and other appliance that switch to standby electricity when not in use.

Adjust your water heater thermostat to produce 120 degrees Fahrenheit at the faucet. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lowering your water temperature by 10 degrees reduces energy consumption by 3 to 5 percent.

Turn down your central heating thermostat by one or two degrees to lower your energy use even further. If your central heating and air-conditioning system is equipped with a timer, set it to turn off during periods when everyone is at work or at school.

Stop buying bottled water. Install a good water filter in your home; plan ahead and fill your own re-usable water bottles. Landfills are inundated with non-biodegradable plastic bottles. These disposable bottles are made from petroleum products and bottling companies consume a great deal of energy producing them.