Tips to Fight Global Warming

The recent hot and muggy weather has us all thinking about how to take the temperature down a notch. With that in mind, we've culled the top ten ways consumers can cut into the 22 tons of carbon dioxide each of us produces in the United States.

Take these small and not-so-small steps and you'll help ensure a more comfortable future for us all (all carbon savings are annual averages).

1. Replace five incandescent light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescents: Swapping those 75-watt incandescent with 19-watt CFLs can cut 275 pounds of CO2.
2. Instead of short haul flights of 500 miles or so, take the train and bypass 310 pounds of CO2.
3. Sure it may be hot, but get a fan, set your thermostat to 75 degrees and blow away 363 pounds of CO2.
4. Replace refrigerators more than 10 years old with today's more energy-efficient Energy Star models and save more than 500 pounds of CO2.
5. Shave your eight-minute shower to five minutes for a savings of 513 pounds.
6. Caulk, weather-strip and insulate your home. If you rely on natural gas heating, you'll stop 639 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere (472 pounds for electric heating). And this summer, you'll save 226 pounds from AC use.
7. Whenever possible, dry your clothes on a line outside or a rack indoors. If you air dry half your loads, you'll dispense with 723 pounds of CO2.
8. Trim down on the red meat. Since it takes more fossil fuels to produce red meat than fish, eggs and poultry, switching to these foods will slim your CO2 emissions by 950 pounds.
9. Leave the car at home and take public transportation to work. Taking the average U.S. commute of twelve miles by light rail will leave you 1,366 pounds of CO2 lighter than driving. The standard, diesel-powered city bus can save 804 pounds, while heavy rail subway users save 288.
10. Finally, support the creation of wind, solar and other renewable energy facilities by choosing green power if offered by your utility.