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It's easy being eco

Vegetarian Times, April, 2008 by Amy Spitalnick

In honor of Earth Day, we're recycling four "I can handle that!" tips from Wake Up and Smell fire Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day, by the unapologetically opinionated Webzine Grist (grist.org):

1. If your car is idling for longer than a minute, in traffic or waiting for that chronically late carpool member, turn the engine off and restart.

Karma points: Over nine minutes, an idling car will emit double the pollutants of a car that's turned off and restarted.

2. Kick off your shoes and shop online.

Karma points: Shipping a 10-pound package by overnight air-the most energy-intensive delivery mode--uses 40 percent less fuel than the average round--trip drive to the mall.

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3. Wash in cold water.

Karma points: Up to 90 percent of the energy used by washers goes toward heating.

4. Attach aerators to all your faucets. (These widely available wire-mesh faucet ends are easy to install, but may need occasional rinsing when clogged.)

Karma points: Aerators can cut gallons-per-minute water usage by up to 40 percent.

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It's easy being eco

Vegetarian Times, April, 2008 by Amy Spitalnick

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