Saving the Planet Starts At Home
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One of the most local ways to save the planet is to use energy and natural resources in your home wisely. Here is a list of simple, everyday activities that you can do in the home to help make our earth a healthier and happier place.

• When buying a new home, seek out models built using voluntary energy efficiency programs. These homes feature state-of-the-art elements that protect the environment, conserve energy, and in some cases, guarantee home buyers a reduced utility bill or utility rebates. Some home builders and lenders even offer energy efficiency mortgages that qualify home buyers for a 15 to 20 percent larger mortgage.
• Keep the refrigerator door shut. Only open it to take food in and out. Close the door while you're filling ice cube trays and while you're unpacking groceries.
• Save energy in the bathroom. Turn off the water when you aren't using it. Take short showers instead of baths. Brush your teeth with the water off.
• Lower the heat. By turning the heat down just a few degrees, Americans could save more than 500,000 barrels of oil a day. If you're chilly, put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat.
• Turn the air conditioning thermostat up or off. Save valuable energy by keeping the air conditioning above 75 degrees in your house.
• Fix leaky pipes and faucets. One tiny leak can waste up to 50 gallons of water a day.
• Start a tree-planting program. Trees provide energy-conserving shade, help clean our air and water and provide habitat for wildlife.
• Reuse glass containers, paper bags, gift boxes, plastic bags, cloth diapers and rechargeable batteries.
• Recycle newspapers, aluminum cans, one and two coded plastics, glass and toys. Recycling doesn't just help our planet, it helps make the earth a prettier and healthier place by saving trees. You can help by taking your used books, magazines and comic books to a hospital, and your bundled newspapers to a recycling center. If each of us recycled just one newspaper a week, we could save 25 billion trees every year.

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