Individuals can do their part to help save the planet

If you are interested in taking action to reduce your impact on the environment, you could start by using one of the online carbon footprint calculators. The Cool Climate Calculator walks you through questions then offers suggestions for changes and what effect those will have. If you have limited online access or have difficulty figuring it out, feel free to contact me at ConservationErwin@gmail.com.What is a carbon footprint?An individual's carbon footprint is "the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by our personal actions such as transportation, household activities, clothing and food," according to Earth.org. The website also identifies greenhouse gases, including "carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and hydrofluorocarbons, all expressed in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents."What actions can you take to reduce your carbon footprint?LED bulbsReplace incandescent bulbs with LEDs for an easy, quick-payback action. According to the EPA Carbon Footprint Calculator, replacing one incandescent light bulb with an LED bulb will save you $4 per year. Buy an 8-pack at Lowes for $20 to save $32 every year and reduce your carbon footprint by 368 pounds per year. LED bulbs last a long time for more savings. Focus on lights you use the most then slowly replace all your bulbs with LEDs.LaundrySave $30 a year by washing clothes in cold water and $90 a year by drying clothes on a line instead of in a dryer assuming five loads each week. This will cut over 1,400 pounds per year from your carbon footprint.FoodReducing food waste saves you money for food you don't need to buy and reduces your carbon footprint. Switching to meatless Mondays or other ways of reducing your meat consumption, particularly beef, has a large impact on your carbon footprint and improves your health.Reduce / Reuse / RecycleWeatherize your home. Use energy-efficient appliances and heat pumps. Adjust your thermostat. Plant trees to shade streets and houses. Recycle. Free-cycle. Shop at second-hand stores, yard sales, and farmers markets. Buy less stuff. Car pool and combine trips. Obey speed limits.Transportation – Big SavingsSwitch to hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles – an easy choice with fuel savings, lower carbon emissions, and no range anxiety. For example, switching from a 20-miles per gallon sedan to a 45-miles per gallon hybrid sedan saves you $1,533/year in gas and results in 8,300 pounds fewer of carbon dioxide emissions. Switching from a 20-miles-per-gallon sedan to a plug-in hybrid with a 30-mile electric range and 35-miles per gallon fuel economy saves you $1,700/year and result in 12,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide emissions assuming 40 miles a day plus 2,000 miles a year on long trips, according to the EPA calculator.Reduce the number of short (less than 400 miles) airplane trips, particularly flights with layovers. Lift-offs and landings consume lots of fuel. Travel economy-class to spread the carbon footprint across more fellow passengers.Though we still need our government to focus on US- and world-scale efforts to reduce carbon emissions, every individual makes choices that impact future generations.Share what actions you have taken or plan to take to reduce your carbon footprint at ConservationErwin@gmail.com.•••Rebecca Cummings is a retired engineer living in Unicoi who, along with her husband of 40 years, enjoys exploring the beauty of the mountains, streams and waterfalls. Her deep Scottish heritage feeds a strong drive to conserve money and resources and to protect the area's beautiful environment for future generations. She writes her "Conservation in Mind" column two times a month.