* You: 1 in 6 billion

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

Various Web sites will chart your carbon footprint for free. Log onto any of these sites to take a quiz that will calculate carbon dioxide emissions for various activities.

* The Green Guide from National Geographic, http://www.thegreenguide.com/green_home/ — Carbon calculators on this site will determine the amount of carbon dioxide used for individual rooms of your house, such as the laundry room or kitchen, or for your house overall.

* Safe Climate from the World Resource Institute, http://www.safeclimate.net/calculator/ — The Safe Climate carbon footprint calculator allows you to determine carbon dioxide emissions from your home energy consumption and transportation by car and plane.

* Carbonfund.org Foundation, http://www.carbonfund.org — Calculates carbon emissions for individuals or households, vehicle use, air travel and weddings. Also provides information on how to offset your emissions through monetary donations that benefit carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation.

* Bonneville Environmental Foundation, http://www.b-e-f.org/ — Calculates carbon emissions in your electricity use, heating use, and auto or air travel. Offers ideas on how to offset your emissions, including ways to green your business, home, special event, travel or ski trip.


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Cut Your Carbon Emissions

AT HOME
* Change the bulbs — Replace conventional bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

* Keep heating and cooling units maintained — Cleaning air filters regularly and having the heating and cooling units regularly checked and tuned reduces emissions.

* Seal air leaks and insulate your home — Check for drafts, especially in the attic and basement, consider newer model windows that are more energy efficient, and insulate especially around ducts, in the attic and any crawlspaces.

* Check your home’s water efficiency — Turn water off while shaving or brushing teeth, look for energy-efficient and water-saving appliances like dishwashers, toilets, showerheads and washing machines, and use cold water for laundry. Turn your hot water heater thermostat down to 120 degrees and wrap your hot water heater in insulation.

* Adjust your thermostat — Moving your thermostat down just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer can eliminate about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.

* Consider green energy — Research what it would take to convert some or all of your home energy needs to be reliant on solar, wind or geothermal power, or purchase Green Power from your utility to support clean, renewable electric power.

* In the yard — Use a push mower (it creates no emissions and more exercise), compost mulch, grass clippings and organic kitchen waster, learn about the natural topography of your area and native vegetation you can plant, and be conservative when watering your lawn and flowers.

* Reduce, reuse and recycle — Buy food and products with less packaging, reuse any items like yogurt containers and plastic grocery bags, recycle whatever you can.

* Eat and buy locally — You don’t need to travel as far for local food and products.


ON THE ROAD
* Drive smart — Improve fuel economy and reduce emission by going easy on the brakes and gas pedal, avoid hard accelerations and reduce time spent idling. Use overdrive and cruise control when you can.

* Keep your ride tuned — Keeping your vehicle well tuned and maintained produces fewer emission. Replace air filter regularly. Keep tires at their proper pressure; under-inflated tires lead to increased emissions.

* Buy smart — Use the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Vehicle Guide at http://www.epa.gov/emissweb/ to compare emission and fuel economy of different vehicles and find the cleanest vehicle to fit your needs.

* Give the car a break — Combine errands to reduce travel time. Try public transportation or car pool, ride your bike or walk.


AT THE OFFICE
* Unplug — Unplug office equipment at the end of the day or use a power strip that can be turned on and off. Electronic devices use “phantom power” or energy even if they are off but remain plugged in.

* Reduce, recycle — Try to get your workplace to reduce, reuse and recycle in any area you can, from the break room to excess paper and printer cartridges.


Find out more

* http://www.skagitbeattheheat.org — A locally based environmental awareness group with suggestions for reducing carbon emission, opportunities for education and information, and ways to get involved with other locals concerned with climate change.

* http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/whatucando.htm — An expansive resource about global warming and climate change from the state’s Department of Ecology. Includes what Washingtonians can do to address climate change and dozens of links to other statewide and national resources on climate change.

* http://www.climatesolutions.org — A regional resource for Washington and Oregon about practical solutions to global warming.

Skagit Warming Series:
Skagit Warming Page
Climate change and the Skagit Valley
Temperatures rising, glaciers melting in Northwest
Nature's Laboratory
Researchers explore effects of climate change on health
Warming's impact on Skagit water
Climate change poses threat to regional icons
Warming shifts odds away from salmon survival
Climate change could have dramatic impact on local agricultural scene
Cashing in on global warming
Warming: A rising tide
Tribe, La Conner on front lines
Green Power
Nuclear power unlikely alternative
Skagit Warming: Government action
Climate and You
Why turn off the lights?
Skagit Warming: Tell us what you think