Go Green & Beat The Heat This Summer

Green is cool this summer

Summer is the time for family vacations, boating at the lake or just taking it easy. It's also the ideal time to Go Green! Get the whole family involved and reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink how you spend your summer.

►Save money by turning up your air conditioner's tem­perature just one degree. You can save up to three percent of your energy costs for each degree the thermostat is set above 72 degrees. Use ceiling fans for even more energy savings.

►Save energy by washing dishes in the dish washer rather than by hand. Run only with a full load and let them air dry.

►Wash clothes in cold water and line dry. Clothes dryers use more energy than any other appliance in your home.

►Can't stand the heat? Cook dinner in the microwave. You will save energy and keep your house cooler. Crock pots offer a simple solution to planning meals and use less energy, too.

►When entertaining, use reusable dishware and glasses rather than single-use paper or plastic. Use gas instead of charcoal when grilling out to cut down on carbon dioxide emmissions.

►Buy local fruits and vegetable from farmers' markets or other local growers. Supermarket chains truck in produce from thousands of miles away, creating pollution.

►Don't use harsh pesticides to ward off summer fly and mosquito infestations. Buy a fly swatter. Pesticides kill benefi­cial insects such as ladybugs, honey bees and butterflies.

►Minimize water usage by planting drought and heat toler­ant plants and water only when necessary. Do not program automatic sprinklers, turn them on manually when needed.

►Do not bag grass clippings. Mulch grass back into your lawn. Grasscycling cuts down on the need for water and fertil­izer, saving you time and money.

Source: Metropolitan Environmental Trust