Assess Personal Impact on the Environment by Measuring Carbon Footprint

• Measure your personal carbon footprint.Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images
  
  The carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment. It is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we emit individually in our daily lives from electricity, heating, transportation, etc. and is measured in units of tons (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent. The carbon footprint quiz, which can be found online at the Carbon Footprint website, takes about 20 minutes.
  
  

Determine Which Changes Can be Made

• Turn off lights when not in use.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  There are inexpensive changes which make a big difference. New York State's Get Energy Smart program offers multiple tips for making these changes in your own home, from changing the filters on your air conditioners to drying clothes outside in the summer.
  
  

Turn Off Computer and Unplug Unused Appliances and Chargers

• Anything plugged in still uses electricity -- even if it's off.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Turn off unused lights and computers at night and unplug cell phone chargers when not in use. Shutting down a computer can save you between $70 and $100 per year per computer in electric costs. Screen saver programs won't do that. Chargers can consume as much as 10% of a home's electricity. As soon as charging is complete, unplug the charger.
  
  

Choose Energy Star Appliances

• Energy Star appliances have the highest efficiency rating and cost no more than other appliances.Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
  
  Choose Energy Star rated appliances when replacing old appliances. Energy Star products do not cost any more than the less efficient products.
  
  

Change to Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Lightbulbs

• Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) lightbulbs are far more enrgy efficient than their old counterparts.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt light bulb with a CFL will save $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat. If every U.S. family replaced one regular light bulb with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road, according to architect Craig Hunt's Energy Efficiency in Residential Building and Remediation.
  
  

Plant a Tree

• Trees absorb CO2 and release oxygen.Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Trees and plants absorb CO2 and give off oxygen during photosynthesis. A tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.
  
  

Opt for Renewable Energy at the Power Company

• The sun produces enough energy in one hour to power the globe for one year. Where on earth does the wind not blow?Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Coal produces twice the carbon emissions of gas, six times the amount of solar, 40 times the amount of wind and 200 times the amount from hydroelectric power, according to Cool Planet. Today, more than 50 per cent of all US consumers have an option to purchase some type of green power product.
  
  

Certain States Offer Incentives for Individuals to "Green" Their Homes

• "Green" homes get incentives from certain states.Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Some states, such as California, offer up to $80,000 in down payment initiatives for incorporating responsible "green" materials and making sustainable choices in the rehabilitation and restoration of single-family and multi-family properties.
  
  

Food Choices

• Meat-eating contributes more to global warming than a vegetarian diet.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Eating meat contributes nine times more carbon dioxide than a vegetarian diet, according to the United Nations. In addition, eating food grown locally is not only more nutritious, it also cuts down on CO2 emissions from the transportation costs.