What Can You Do?

All this information about global climate change can be overwhelming, and saddening.  What can you do as a private citizen to reduce New Jersey's emissions of GHG?  There are many steps you can take to reduce your personal emissions that are simple and easy, and in some cases that might save you money!  Just visiting this website is a great first step.

  • Replace your traditional incandescent light bulbs with high efficiency florescent bulbs each time an old one burns out.  You will spend less in energy costs, while reducing your carbon emissions.
  • Practice proper vehicle maintenance.  Properly inflating your tires can improve your gas mileage, and keeping up to date on your car maintenance can reduce tail-pipe emissions and improve your miles to gallon ratio over time.
  • When buying new home appliances, look for products with the EnergyStar logo.  That way you know you are buying high quality products that also reduce your energy consumption.  While the cost of the appliance might be higher, you will recoup the cost through lower energy bills.
  • Clean your air filters regularly in your home.  Have your heating and air conditioning unit serviced once a year, to keep things running smoothly, and you will reduced your energy costs, as well as help the Earth.
  • Properly seal and insulate your home.  New windows can help prevent air leakages that will keep heated or cooled air in your home longer.
  • Wherever possible buy your energy from green energy sources.  Wind and solar power have little to no carbon emissions.
  • Compost and use your lawn clippings as mulch.  This practice can help the environment in many ways, reducing fertilizer run off, as well as reducing methane production in land fills.
  • Look for alternative transportation.  Carpooling and using public transportation can reduce carbon emissions, as can biking or walking to work.  Try to plan your errands around each other, to make fewer trips in your car.  Leaving your car at home two days a week could potentially reduce GHG emissions by an average of 1,600 lbs a year, according to the EPA.
  • And as always....Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!