Save the world today – three easy ways to help save the world

It’s official — virtually everyone wants to fight climate change, conserve our natural resources and save the world. That’s great, but saving the world has to happen one day at a time. Every choice you and your family make can further, or damage, the cause.

Saving the world doesn’t have to be about buying high-end eco-conscious fashions, pricey fair-trade coffee and expensive organic produce. The good news is that there are lots of ways to help save the world that will not only help the planet, but will actually save you money. It’s great to save the world and cash at the same time!

Here are the three fastest and easiest ways to save the world and save money at the same time.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL)

Compact fluorescent light bulbs use a fraction of the energy of old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs. CFLs are available at virtually every retail store and hardware store. Lately, CFLs have even been spotted at grocery stores.

When you replace an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, you save in two ways. First, CFLs last 8-15 times longer than a traditional bulb. Secondly, CFLs use 77%-80% less electricity than traditional bulbs. Considering that lighting is about 10% of the average household’s electricity usage, switching to CFLs can save you 7%-8% of your total household electricity budget!

A recent US News & World Report article stated, “A household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12% discount to estimate the savings.”

Now that’s one way to save the world that makes good financial sense.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

The mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle” has been chanted thousands of times. Here’s what it really means: by reducing the quantity of items you purchase, then reusing them as long as possible, then recycling them when there’s no more use for them, you reduce waste. Not only that but you extract the maximum utility out of your purchases.

Here are some simple and easy ways to reduce, reuse and recycle every day:

– Save your paper or plastic grocery bags and take them back to the store.
– Instead of throwing out old furniture or clothing, you can list them on Craigslist or give them to a local thrift shop.
– Selling on eBay? Use crumpled newsprint or shredded paper as packing material.
– Purchase concentrated cleaning products to reduce packaging bulk.
– Separate your recycling every week. No curbside recycling near you? Look up the closest recycling center and make one trip per week.

When you reduce, reuse and recycle, you’re diminishing the resources you consume and helping to save the world.

Diminish your carbon footprint with public transportation

One big way you can help to avert climate change and save the world is through reducing your carbon footprint. In America, we spend a huge amount of energy and fossil fuels in transportation. If you can take a bus or train to work instead of your car, you’re cutting carbon emissions by at least 75%.

Carpooling helps to save the world as well but is not quite as effective as public transportation. Besides, riding public transportation is an adventure! You’ll meet new people and see new sights while you’re helping to save the world.

Each of these tips will help you to save the world in your day-to-day life. Not only that but you’ll be saving money and contributing to a healthier, happier planet. Start saving the world today!