Crush Your Carbon Footprint

Get ready for Earth Day on April 22. Here are five everyday things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

1. Calculate Your Greenhouse Gas Contributions
Put your household on an Energy Diet to save money and reduce the load you add to our overall energy consumption. Use this online calculator to see where you’re spending the most and then make a plan to trim back.

2. Consolidate Car Trips
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, leaving your car at home twice a week can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1,600 pounds per year. If public transit or telecommuting isn’t possible for your job, try to bundle up errands and shopping trips on the weekend.

3. Conquer Home Energy Vampires
Borrow a nifty Kill a Watt device from the West Orange Public Library to measure your appliances' energy efficiency, consumption and expense. Use a power strip and power down TVs and other “always on” devices. If there’s a little green light, it’s sucking energy.

4. Create a Video
Join the EPA's "Pick 5" campaign for little energy-saving steps that add up to big differences. Then tell the world about your environmental actions by making a short video. Submit by April 15 to make it into the Earth Day 2011 video release. Creativity and bloopers encouraged.

5. Cool Down Cheaper
Before the beastly heat hits, take steps now to stay comfortably cool this summer. Summer saving tips. Grab an early-bird discount by joining the township Ginny Duenkel pool by May 15. More.

— Compiled by Claire Sommer