Bath Schedule

Bathe every other day.

How it helps
You will only use half as much water and energy as you would if you bathed every single day. You will use only a fourth of the energy that you would if you bathed twice a day. Scientists say that bathing every other day is actually preferable to bathing every day because it prevents stripping of healthy bacteria from your skin.

Make the change
This may be more or less socially acceptable depending on where you live, your natural body type, and activity level. Ask your family for feedback.

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Double Duty

Wear your jeans at least twice before washing them.

How it helps
Washing your clothes with excessive frequency uses your energy as well as energy from fossil fuels. It also ruins your clothing faster.

Make the change
As long as you wear underwear and wash those, what exactly are you afraid is happening to your pants every time you wear them? You will notice no difference and they won’t smell bad.

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It is What it Is

Get a haircut that works with your natural hair type. Stop blow-drying, straightening, and otherwise beating your style into submission.

How it helps
Any appliance that plugs into the wall is using electricity. If you were no longer slave to that half hour of hair transformation, think of the energy you would save over your lifetime!

Make the change
Remind yourself that you will be able to sleep in later every morning.

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Fresh is Best

Buy fresh food instead of frozen.

How it helps
Every time a food is processed, it uses more energy. Frozen foods require 10 times more energy to produce.

Make the change
Buy fresh whenever possible and you will probably really start to enjoy the improved flavor as well!

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Local Luxury

Vacation close to home instead of road-tripping or flying.

How it helps
You spew less carbon emissions when you choose a vacation destination in close proximity to your home.

Make the change
A lot of us have seen different parts of the world, but have not yet explored all of the corners of our own region. Ask around to find interesting areas near your house. You will get the added advantage of spending less time traveling and more time actually relaxing.

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Auto Smarts

Before you buy your next car, check out the Auto Smart ratings by the Canadian government.

How it helps
Someone else does the work for you by investigating and rating the energy efficiency of different car models. Buying an efficient car will reduce the carbon dioxide you add to the air when you have to drive as a means of transportation.

Make the change
Auto Smart makes your shopping easier. You can search and compare different makes and models at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/

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Hybrid for a Day

Can’t afford to buy your own hybrid vehicle just yet? Rent a hybrid while on vacation or business trips.

How it helps
Obviously, some of us are going to have to save up a bit of cash before we trade in our current junkers for the latest energy-efficient hybrid vehicle. However, you may be able to rent a hybrid at times you would be renting a car anyway.

Make the change
Remember that just by requesting and renting hybrid cars, you are increasing the market for them. If you make it known that consumers demand hybrids, more will be made and offered.

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Water Wars

Buy water in refillable jugs instead of individual water bottles.

How it helps
Refilling your own jugs over and over at the store is a great way to save energy by avoiding the production of more plastic bottles.

Make the change
See if your grocery offers a refillable jug that you can return each time you come to the store.

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A Time and Season

Eat fruits and veggies that are in-season for your area.

How it helps
Fruits and vegetables that are available locally will not have to be shipped in from somewhere else in the world, which contributes greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

Make the change
Do you remember a time when apple pie and apple cider were made in the fall and fruit salad was made in the summer? If you have no idea what foods are in season at any given time, think about the “traditional recipes" for that time of year in your area and that should lead you in the right direction.

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Go for Green

Invest in “green" stocks and socially responsible mutual funds.

How it helps
If you are diligently saving water and energy at home, but are financing huge business projects that don’t think twice about their carbon emissions, you are not helping much over all. Invest in stocks and funds that put money into propagating the kind of businesses you support.

Make the change
There are many “green" options out there. Ask your financial institution what they offer.

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Local Landscaping

Landscape your yard with plants that thrive locally so you can avoid having to water them.

How it helps
Living in certain drier, rockier areas of the world is not conducive to sporting a lush, green lawn. Attempting to fight the natural climate will result in a huge waste of energy and water.

Make the change
If a cactus and rock garden is more appropriate for your living space, do it. Or move somewhere where grass grows naturally.

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The Dirt on Dishwashers

Don’t rinse the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

How it helps
Older dishwashers may have required a certain amount of scraping and rinsing before they could successfully clean your dishes, but newer models (like from the last 15 years) will do all of the work themselves. Rinsing beforehand is just another step that increases your use of water and energy to heat the water.

Make the change
Why do the work if you are ultimately going to use a machine? Either hand wash the dishes entirely, or let the dishwasher deal with them.

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Clean Coils

Clean the condenser coil in your refrigerator.

How it helps
Cleaning the coils in your fridge is part of the normal maintenance process that allows the fridge to run at maximum efficiency and save energy.

Make the change
Check the manual to get detailed directions on cleaning the coils on your refrigerator. This can save you $20 in energy costs each year.

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Close Vents

Close unused heating/cooling vents in your home.

How it helps
If you have vents leading into remote corners of the attic or the seldom-used spare guest room, you are using energy to heat/cool parts of your house that don’t really need it. Closing these vents will cause more air to get the rest of the house where you can feel it.

Make the change
Take a quick walk around your house and notice the locations of your vents and adjust as you see fit.

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