5 worst ways you're hurting the planet, 5 best ways you can help it

5 of the worst ways you expand your carbon footprint: 

1. Fail to switch to more energy-efficient LED bulbs from incandescent bulbs.

2. Ignore energy and money savers like programmable thermostats, utility-sponsored home energy audit services, and incentives for energy-efficient appliances.

3. Wash clothes in hot water. If all U.S. homes washed clothes in cold water, it would save the energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil a day.

4. Buy bottled water. For every 1 million bottles of water that are manufactured and shipped to consumers, 18.2 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are released into the air.

5. Speed, drive aggressively. Avoid hard accelerations and go easy on the brakes and gas pedal to improve energy use. Adequate air in the tires also improves fuel efficiency.

5 of the best ways to cut your carbon footprint:

1.Reduce your energy use. Even with tremendous growth in solar and wind power, most U.S. energy is produced using fossil fuels. The greenest energy is the energy you never use. Turn off lights and unplug electronics and appliances when and where you can.

2. Don’t waste water. Even if you're not experiencing a drought like the western U.S., saving water can reduce energy use. It takes a lot of energy to pump and treat water and wastewater in a municipal system.

3. Eat everything you buy. And buy locally grown food when you can. An estimated 48.1 million Americans are without enough to eat, but the country wastes an estimated 133 billion pounds of food, at a value of $162 billion. And food waste contributes to 18 percent of the total U.S. methane emissions that come from landfills — contributing directly to climate change.

4. Walk, ride a bike and use public transit — all carbon-efficient transportation — when possible. Fly less. And buy fuel- and emissions-efficient vehicles.

5. Leave it in the store unless you absolutely need it. Look for items that are designed to be recycled.

Sources: University of Iowa Office of Sustainability, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Cornell University

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