Five Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

The simple name "Earth Day" makes the idea of doing something for the Earth and the environment somewhat daunting. How can I as one person curb the enormous amounts of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere or slow or end the constant destruction of animal and plant habitats around the world?

Here's the secret: You can only do your own little part.

First, don't take a bulldozer and don't tear out 200 acres of woods and then set fire to all of the resulting timber. Now that you have talked yourself out of that, here are a few real and easy Earth-saving efforts:

1. Switch to energy-efficient lighting in your home. Whenever your old lightbulbs blow out, replace them with compact fluorescent ones. According to energystar.gov, CFL bulbs can last up to 10 times longer than regular incandescent lightbulbs and use 75 percent less energy.

2. Buy local produce and food.  Local farming practices are gentler on the environment and eliminate shipping costs and excessive packaging. You can check with your local grocery store to see where goods are purchased from and how locally they are sourced. But Marietta has its own great source every Saturday morning on the Square: the Marietta Square Farmers Market!

3. Plant bamboo in your yard. According to a study in U.S. News and World Report, bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants and sucks up four times as much carbon dioxide as trees. Be warned, though. Bamboo can be quite invasive if not maintained properly. If not bamboo, consider other environmentally and low-maintenance grasses.

4. Understand what to recycle. The City of Marietta offers curbside recycling but has specific guidelines as what can and cannot be placed into the bins. Call 770-794-5595 with any questions or go to this Public Works site.

5. Curb the car. Leaving the car at home on occasion and taking mass transit or your bike or walking can reduce the amount of pollutants in the air.