happy earth day.

in honor of Earth day, i've decided to blog about the health of our planet.

here are 10 ideas for saving energy and otherwise cutting down on your impact on the planet.

1. change light bulbs. seriously. a highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) lasts for years, use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs and actually produce more light.

2. drive differently, drive less, or drive a different vehicle. self-explanatory, really.

3. control your temperature. add two degrees to the AC thermostat in summer, and two degrees in winter. if everyone did this, the cumulative impact is significant. other ideas? clean your vents and change the filters regularly. and if you're really brave, avoid the AC altogether.

4. tame the refrigerator monster. turn on your "energy saver" switch near the thermostat. clean the condenser coil. this one, very simple thing can improve the efficiency of your refrigerator by a third!

5. twist some knobs. some other household "energy sucker uppers" include your hot water heater, your washer and dryer, and your dishwasher. some common sense ideas (wait until you have a full load, don't use the pre-rinse setting in the dishwasher, don't use HOT water — use warm — when washing clothes) will help you conserve a lot.

6. plant smartly. do everything you can in your yard and garden to create ways in which plants use less water. choose hardier plants, plant things in groups that need more water and put in mulch to help keep moisture in.

7. invest in green energy. the future is in renewable sources — solar panels, geothermal and wind power sources. also, if you invest, invest in green stocks and renewable energy companies through socially responsible funds. they perform just as well (if not better) than all of the unfiltered funds.

8. go organic. just remember this next time you eat your veggies: most American farmers still spray a billion pounds of pesticides to protect crops each year. do you really want to ingest that?!

9. buy recycled (and recycle). it takes less energy to manufacture a recycled product than a brand new one. wow. PLUS, recycled is often considerably cheaper than non-recycled, so it's cost-effective as well as conservation-minded. just look for the recyclable logo!

10. be a minimalist. essentially, the less you buy, the more you save energy-wise. no-brainer concept, but sometimes difficult to follow.

good luck going green!