Turn off unnecessary lights. Shutting lights cuts carbon emissions by reducing electricity use. You can even also install motion sensors to activate lights as needed. Dimmer switches not only provide flattering light but use less electricity! Buy safer candles. A candle made from beeswax or soy is both nontoxic and biodegradable. Plus, these burn longer than paraffin candles! Use recycled paper. Recycled paper uses 60% less energy to make than non-recycled. And, each ton saves 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water. Instead of a paper towel, use a dishtowel to dry your hands and doing your cleaning with microfiber towels or rags. They grip dust and bacteria plus go in the laundry when you're done! Opt for a laptop. Desktop computers use 50% more energy than laptop models. Spend less time behind the wheel. Carpool, take mass transportation, bike or walk. Save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don't drive! Take-out smarter. When ordering in, request no napkins and no plastic flatware. When ordering your daily coffee fix, use a mug instead of a disposable coffee cup. Starbucks even offers a 10% discount when you bring in your own mug! Use reusable canvas bags when you shop. U.S. households annually use about 100 billion plastic bags -- and 99% of them are never recycled. They are also a part of our oil dependency to oil as most bags are made of petroleum. Keep reusable canvas bags handy when you go grocery shopping; use them over and over again and just toss them in the wash. Many grocery stores are jumping on this trend and are giving money back to those bringing their own bags. Swap your bulbs for something better. If every home replaced just1 bulb with a compact fluorescent light (CFL), it would be equivalent to taking a million cars off our roads! The typical incandescent bulb burns 80-85% heat, making it very inefficient. CFLs are 70-75% more efficient. A 22-watt CFL has approx. the same light output as a 100-watt incandescent. CFLs can cost 3-5x more upfront, but they last up to 10x longer and use 75% less energy, so you'll see considerable savings on your energy bill. This adds up to about $36 savings over the life of each bulb. CFLs do contain trace amounts of mercury so you must dispose of them carefully, but because incandescent bulbs are so inefficient you actually put more mercury into the air by using them because most power in the US comes from coal. Buy Energy Star Appliances. Energy star, a joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and US Department of Energy can help you save money and protect the environment with energy efficient products and practices. When buying electronics, appliances or lighting, look for the Energy Star label to be sure you're getting the most efficient products on the market. The reduction in energy (as well as on your utility bill) is substantial: Energy Star qualified refrigerators require about half as much energy as models made before 1993. Energy Star qualified washing machines use, on average, 50% less energy and water than conventional washers. Energy Star qualified room air conditioners use at least 10% less energy than conventional models. Here's another tip: Run appliances at off-peak hours, usually 9PM-7AM. And, if you’re not already doing so, c’mon now: RECYCLE! Most areas have recycling plans for glass, plastic, paper, motor oil and household chemicals. There also may be special days for recycling electronic devices such as old computers and microwaves. Learn what to do in your area by visiting www.earth911.com and entering your zip code.