By Vaughn Gray    Updated 10/28/2008

1. Educate yourself about environmental issues.

A great resource is http://www.grist.org/. Also, if you haven’t seen the film An Inconvenient Truth, check it out. Global warming is an issue that none of us can afford to ignore, and An Inconvenient Truth does a great job of outlining both the problem and the some of the solutions.

2. Do everything you can to reduce fossil fuel emissions

Use public transportation when convenient. When you do drive, try to drive around 55mph, and avoid sudden starts and stops, which burn up loads of gas. Keep your tires inflated – it’s amazing how much less gas cars use with full tires, which is good for the environment and your wallet. And think about making your next vehicle a hybrid. It really does make a difference.

3. Dispose of Motor Oil Properly

One can of used motor oil poured into a storm drain can foul an entire square acre of open water. The oil from one oil change is enough to render 1 million gallons of drinking water unsafe to drink. Still think one person’s waste can’t make a difference? Take used motor oil to a local service station in a tightly sealed container so that it can be recycled. If everyone in America recycled all of their motor oil we would save 50 million gallons per year.

4. Recycle

Ok, so you know this one, but do you do it conscientiously? It doesn't take much effort, and, over time, it makes a difference.

5. Conserve Energy

 There are a lot of little things we can all do to conserve energy. Raising the shades in every room in the house in winter can help keep things warm without running the heater. Also try running your entertainment center and computer through a power bar, and flipping the bar off at night. These appliances consume power whenever they’re on, even if they’re not in use. Also, be sure to unplug electrical devices, and especially all sorts of chargers (phone crahrgers, ipod chargers etc...) from outlets when you aren't using them. Anything plugged in (especially charging devices) actually draws power even when it is turned off. Thinking bigger, consider installing energy efficient windows, and be sure to clean the filters on air conditioners and heating units. In general, making these changes conserves so much energy that they end up saving money as well.