When You Are At Home

• Turn off lights, lamps, computers, printers, TVs, radios, and any other equipment when not in use. Unplug electronics such as TVs, computers, and cell phone chargers.
• If you have a second refrigerator, consolidate food into one refrigerator and unplug the other.
• If you don’t need lights, don’t turn them on.
• Work by a lamp instead of lighting an entire room.
• Replace frequently used bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs).
• When it is cooler than 80°F outside, open two windows, one at the highest point of your house and the other on the shady side of the ground floor. This will create a natural airflow through your house.
• Cover your south-facing windows with light colored shades or blinds to reduce solar heat gain.
• Ceiling fans use only about as much electricity as a light bulb, or about two percent of the electricity of a central air system.
• If the heat and humidity is too much to be handled through natural ventilation, then the air conditioner should be used. Set the temperature to 78°F and close all windows. Make sure that you turn the A/C off or set the temperature higher when you leave the house.
• Use a programmable thermostat. This will avoid running the A/C or heat during the day when nobody is home.
• During the winter, set your thermostat to 68°F. Set it cooler at night and when nobody is home. Make sure windows, doors, and any other openings are shut tightly; if you feel cool air coming in from outdoors, fix it!
• Insulate! During winter or summer, insulation will protect you from wasting energy.
• Try to take shorter showers. This saves water and the energy required to heat bath water.
• Try to wash dishes by hand when possible. If you have to use the washing machine, set it to the low power and low water modes and only use it when it is full.
• Wash clothes only when they need to be washed and then only run full loads. Use cold or warm water instead of hot, which will save on energy. Hang dry your clothes as much as possible.
• Water outdoor plants only when necessary and only during the cool part of the morning. When you water during the hottest part of the day, 90% of the water can be lost through evaporation.
• Set your lawnmower to the highest setting to keep your grass longer. Doing so keeps the soil shaded which prevents moisture from evaporating and keeps the grass healthier.

In Your Classes and Labs

• Integrate sustainability issues into your classes. Because the breadth of these issues is very wide, every academic discipline can engage in reshaping aspects of our communities. Create opportunities to show your students how your discipline relates to sustainability.
• Do whatever you can to reduce paper usage. Instead of making paper handouts, post electronic documents online. If you must print something, print double-sided. Consider electronic submissions whenever possible. Think about using an e-book instead of a traditional textbook.
• When selecting equipment and products, select those that minimize energy use and generate the minimum amount of waste. Select vendors who have incorporated sustainability into the services they provide, including the products they use and the means by which they manage waste products resulting from the services they perform.
• Reduce chemical usage and hazardous waste when possible. Purchase chemical products that are environmentally friendly. Buy only the quantity needed. Dispose of chemicals properly.
• Request student help. Many students seek opportunities to be involved in sustainability efforts on campus.

When You Are Commuting

• Take public transit whenever possible; trains and buses require less energy per person than single-occupancy automobiles.
• Ride a bike if you can do so safely. The bicycle is the most energy-efficient form of personal transportation.
• Drive less: consolidate your trips and lower your speed. Plan trips and errands to make each trip most productive.
• Accelerate gently because it takes a great deal of energy to rapidly accelerate a car.
• Most vehicles get the best gas mileage around 55 mph, so try to drive the speed limit! Every mph above 55 requires increasingly more fuel.
• Inflate your tires to the maximum PSI listed on the sidewall of the tire instead of what is listed by your auto manufacturer. The ride might be a bit stiffer than before, but you will have much less rolling resistance.
• Change your oil, replace the air filter, and do all other recommended maintenance to keep your car running efficiently and to help it last longer. Washing and waxing even helps cut down wind resistance, but do not wash your car during drought conditions.

When You Are Shopping

• Buy less. Purchase environmentally-friendly products, but more importantly, buy only what you absolutely need.
• Shop online when possible. Shopping online eliminates your need to drive to a store and reduces the overall environmental footprint of commerce.
• Buy local goods whenever you can. This promotes a healthy local economy and reduces fuel consumption.
• Avoid excessive packaging.
• Buy in bulk. Buying products that are packaged in larger quantities reduces the use of packaging material, but only buy what you will use.
• Reuse packaging!
• Bring a bag to the store. Use reusable bags or a backpack at the grocery store to avoid using plastic bags.
• Recycle plastic bags. Return any plastic bags you have to the grocery store to be recycled.
• Buy Energy Star products. Look for the Energy Star logo on products such as light bulbs, windows, TVs, and air conditioners.
• Buy a more fuel-efficient car. When it is time to replace your vehicle, buy a car that suits your needs and is fuel efficient.