5 Ways You Can Help in Your Yard:

There are many ways we can help the environment right in our own backyards. Yard care offers lots of opportunities to do things in a way that will help care for our air and natural resources. Let these ideas get you started!

• Tune-up your lawn mower once a year. This simple-to-do task takes 30 minutes or less and cuts your mower's emissions by up to 50 percent and fuel consumption up to 30 percent.
• Plant a tree. Trees not only beautify your yard and increase the value of your home, they also absorb carbon dioxide pollutants and release oxygen into the air. A mature tree also helps shade your home from summer heat.
• Water your lawn in the evening or early in the morning so that it is absorbed by the soil rather than evaporated by the sun. Set your sprinklers carefully to avoid wasting water on pavement.
• Use care when fueling your mower and other power equipment – spilled gasoline is an air pollutant.
• Use and dispose of weed killers and insecticides carefully. Read all of the directions so you do not harm wildlife and valuable plants.

5 Ways You Can Help Inside Your Home:

• Is your refrigerator airtight to save energy? Check by closing the refrigerator door on a piece of paper or a dollar bill so that the paper or bill is half in and half out. If you can pull the paper out easily, your refrigerator is leaking air and losing energy, and the door seal may need to be replaced.
• Clean the lint filter in your family's clothes dryer every time the dryer is used. This increases air circulation which helps clothes dry more quickly, saving energy.
• Run the dishwasher only when it is full for efficient use of water and energy.
• Turn up your air conditioning in the summer by a few degrees and turn down the heat in winter by a few degrees.
• Fix a dripping faucet as soon as you can – even a slow drip can waste more than a gallon of water in a single day.