Simple actions we can all do to help lower our environmental impact:
• Refuse. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it. If you do need it, buy a durable product.
• Reuse. Before you discard it, find another use for it, or give it to someone who will.
• Recycle. If you have to discard it, recycle it.
• Treat water as a valuable resource. Use efficient faucets and showerheads. Water your lawn in the early mornings.
• Use paper responsibly. Think before you print. Print double-sided. Print drafts on the back of waste paper. Reduce catalog subscriptions (www.CatalogChoice.org).
• Heat and cool your house with moderation.Heating and cooling accounts for about half your energy bill. Use a programmable thermostat. Set it for 68 degrees in the winter and 78 in the summer.
• Change your driving habits
o Drive less. Consolidate trips. Share rides. Carpool. Use mass transit. Walk.
o Join the Walking School Bus. If you and your student(s) would like to join morning walks to Main Street School and Main Street School everyThursday, please email Maura Gedid at irvingtonsaferoutes@gmail.org.
o Drive a fuel efficient car.
o Gentle acceleration and braking can improve fuel economy by up to 33% compared to rapid starts and stops.
o Watch your speed. A car uses 23% more fuel at 75 mph than it does at 55 mph.
• Eat less red meat. The production of 1 lb. of beef causes 4 times the greenhouse gas emissions of 1 lb. of chicken and 14 times that of 1 lb. of vegetable protein.