GREEN NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

• Ban plastic shopping bags. Plastic shopping bags are petroleum based products that are energy intensive to make, and worst of all they litter our waters and landscapes and harm wildlife. Many stores are offering reusable canvas shopping bags for as little as $1 or you can opt to purchase your own.
• Stop phantom loads. Many people don't realize that even when turned off many electronic devices like TV's, computers and monitors still draw a small amount of energy. If you haven't already, plug these items into a power strip so that you can turn the strip off when they aren't in use and kill the phantom load. For more information visit http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/12/cut_back_on_pha.php.
• Break the bottle habit. Plan ahead and keep a reusable water bottle and/or coffee mug with you wherever you go. Avoid using bottled water or other individual beverage containers or disposable cups whenever you can and reduce the waste stream.
• Make the switch to CFL's or LED's. Trade in your old incandescent light bulbs for energy efficient compact fluorescent or LED lamps. They cost more up front, but they last 10 times longer and use 75-90 percent less energy.
• Curb your driving habit. Save money on gas, reduce pollution and even get in shape by choosing to walk, bike, ride public transportation or carpool whenever possible.
• Upgrade your appliances. Have an old, inefficient refrigerator or washing machine? Upgrade it to an Energy Star rated appliance and see the difference on your electric bill.
• Switch to low-flow fixtures. Purchase low-flow, Energy Star rated shower heads, faucets, and toilets for your home to save water and money. Don't own your home? Shower heads are easy to replace, and you can take them with you when you move. You can also purchase aerators for your faucets at the hardware store that simply screw on to the existing faucet and decrease the flow of water. Even if you don't pay the water bill, you'll save on water heating because you'll be using less hot water too.
• Buy recycled. Be sure to choose products with recycled content for your everyday purchases. Recycled products use less energy to produce, use less natural resources and create less waste and pollution.
• Buy local. Choosing goods that are locally produced not only supports the local economy; it saves energy because those products traveled much shorter distances.
• Use fewer chemicals. Buy earth friendly cleaning products, organic fertilizers and pesticides, and other products like low-VOC paints that emit fewer chemicals into the air.
• Use less stuff! Resist the urge to fill your home with the clutter of excessive purchases. Clean out your closets and garages, go through the kids' toys and clothes, and minimize what you can. Donate all useable items to charity or have a yard sale, and recycle, recycle, recycle! You can post items to sell for free on sites like Craigslist.org, or if you're giving items away try Freecycle.org for items that you want picked up or the local charity can't take.
• Plant a tree, or many trees. If you don't have anywhere that you can plant a tree, there are many organizations that accept donations to plant trees for you. Re-Tree WNY is a great organization locally that accepts both donations and volunteers to help with planting. The local organization was established after the 2006 October Storm and has planted 8,100 trees in the area. Visit http://www.re-treewny.org/ for more information.

Visit these websites for more information on greening your holidays and your life:

http://earth911.com/seasonal/green-your-holidays/

http://www.treehugger.com/holidays/

http://ecolocalizer.com/

http://www.sierraclub.org/holidays/