Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

We release greenhouse gases as a result of many actions we take during the day when we drive, use utilities to light and heat homes, or turn on the air conditioner. Take a minute to calculate your carbon emissions using our Carbon Calculator.

The good news is: greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced through simple measures like changing light bulbs and properly inflating your tires. There are many easy steps you can take to not only reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, but also reduce air pollution, increase the nation's energy independence and save money. If you have other suggestions, enter them below!

New Tip of the Month from PayItGreen

Reduce the paper coming into your home and decrease your carbon impact. By switching to electronic bills, statements, and payments, the average American household can save these resources in one year [Project Performance Corp]:

• 6.6 pounds of paper.
• 171 pounds of greenhouse gases.
• 63 gallons of water.
• 4.5 gallons of gasoline.

If an additional 20 percent of all American households would switch to electronic bills, statements, and payments, the collective impact per year would be:

• Save 150,939,615 pounds of paper.
• Save 1,811,2755 trees.
• Avoid creating enough wastewater to fill 2,180 Olympic-size swimming pools.
• Avoid filling 6,141 garbage trucks with waste.
• Avoid filling 8,597,328 household garbage bags with waste.
• Avoid producing 3,920,802,916 pounds (1,960,402 tons) of greenhouse gases.

To learn more, visit PayitGreen.org where you will find a calculator to determine your Financial Paper Footprint.

EPA Tips

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a number of tips for reducing carbon emissions--at home, work, and school. Here are a few:

Home

• Change 5 lights: Replace the conventional bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR label and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent more than 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.



• Look for ENERGY STAR labeled products: When buying new appliances and electronics for your home, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution with a selection of products in more than 50 categories.



• Heat and cool smartly: Clean air filters regularly and have your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor.



• Buy Locally: Purchase locally-made and locally-grown products. By doing so, you not only support your community and eat fresher products, but you also minimize your contribution to the carbon emitted for transporting products.



• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle as many materials as your community program collects. Use products in containers that can be recycled. Buy recycled products.



• Use water efficiently: Everyone can save water through simple actions. Turn off the water run while shaving or brushing teeth. Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Cars and Errands

• Car tips: Go easy on the brakes and gas pedal, avoid hard accelerations, reduce time spent idling and unload unnecessary items in your trunk to reduce weight. Remove your roof rack if you are not using it to improve your fuel economy by as much as 5 percent. Use overdrive and cruise control. Keep up with car maintenance.



• Give your car a break: Use public transportation, carpool or walk or bike whenever possible to avoid using your car. Leaving your car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year.



• Combine your trips: When running errands, combine trips. Several short trips taken while your car’s engine is cold can use twice as much fuel and produce twice the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.



• Check your tires: Check your tire pressure regularly. Under-inflation increases tire wear, reduces your fuel economy by up to 3 percent and leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions. Correct tire pressure for your vehicle is listed on the door to the glove compartment or on the driver's-side door.

Spread the Word

• Discuss conservation with kids: The earlier we adapt our behavior the easier it is to make it a way of life. The EPA has a fun Climate Change Kids Site--share it with your kids, nieces, nephews and friends.



• Share your knowledge: Tell family and friends all that you know about energy efficiency and ways that you are trying to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Tell 5 people and together we can help.

Invest in Conservation

• Carbon Capital Fund: Despite our best efforts to reduce our carbon emissions, in the modern world we do contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. You can offset your specific emissions through a donation to our Carbon Capital Fund. Calculate your carbon footprint and then make a financial contribution to offset your annual emissions.



• Become a Member!: Become a member of the National Forest Foundation to help us carry out conservation projects on National Forests across the country.



• Volunteer!: Roll up your sleeves and volunteer for a work day in your local park or nearby National Forest. Our site displays volunteer activities for our National Forests. Visit our Volunteer tab to learn about volunteer opportunities.