There are many things you can do to become a Green Christian at home, at your church and at your place of business. Putting It Simply:
1) Think: Reduce, Reuse & Recycle every chance you get.
2) Make it a priority to reduce your transportation fuel by carpooling, combining errands, taking public transit,
and purchasing the most fuel-efficient car you can find.
Follow the link below to read some easy-to-do steps that will help you reduce global warming.

Become a Green Church:
Go to the website for Santa Clara County and follow the links to register to become a Green Church . The County will visit your church to assess where you might save resources (and money!) and help you get started fulfilling the requirements to be certified as a “Green Business”.


How to Be a “Green” Christian
Here are some specific suggestions that are easy, inexpensive and yet will make a BIG difference in the amount of fossil fuels we consume. See how many of these you can build into your life this year!

Around the House:
Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs – Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.

Fill the Dishwasher – Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.

Use Recycled Paper – Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. Of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.

Check Your Water Heater – Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than
120 degrees F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.

Take Shorter Showers – Showers account for 2/3 of all heating costs. Save 350 lbs of CO2 and $99 per year.

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead – Using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs. CO2 and $150 a year.

Recycle – Recycling paper, plastic and glass can save 1000 lbs of CO2 a year.

Insulate your Water Heater – Insulation saves 1,000 of CO2 and $40 per year.

Replace Old Appliances with new EnergyStar-Rated Appliances—Save hundreds of pounds of CO2 and hundreds of dollars.
Air Dry Your Clothes – In warm weather, dry clothes outside on a line. In winter, use indoor drying racks. Save 1400 lbs of CO2 and $150 per year.

Indoor Climate Control:
Adjust Your Thermostat – Move your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in the winter and up 2 degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.

Change the AC Filter – Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.

Weatherize Your Home – Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,700 lbs of CO2 and $274 a year.

Put On a Sweater – Instead of turning up the heat, wear more clothes. Save 1,000 lbs of CO2 and $250 a year.

Insulate Your Home – Install or upgrade the insulation in your walls and ceiling. Save 2,000 lbs of CO2 and $$250 a year.

Install Double-Pane Windows – These save energy in summer and winter. Save 10,000 lbs of CO2 and $450 a year.

Install Solar Panels – A big investment that brings big savings for years in CO2 & $$$.

In Your Yard:
Use a Push Mower – Save 80 lbs of CO2 and $15 a year.

Plant a Tree –Trees suck up CO2 and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs of CO2 a year.

Learn and Practice Composting – You can reduce the amount of CO2 used in the production of chemical fertilizers as you save money and turn your household wastes into free, organic fertilizer. Santa Clara County has a program where you can learn and receive a compost bin.

Shopping:
Bring Cloth Bags to the Store – Use and reuse your own bags. It reduces waste and requires no additional energy.

Buy Products Locally -- Buy in-season foods from local farmers’ markets and save all the fuel that would have been used to transport foods to you from across the country or around the globe.

Buy Minimally Packaged Goods – Less packaging could reduce your trash significantly. Save 1,200 lbs of CO2 and $1,000 a year.

Buy Goods Made from Recycled Material – More and more products are being made from recycled materials. Look for them and buy them.

Eat One or More Vegetarian Meals Each Week – Reducing the amount of meat, poultry and dairy products you consume can save money, calories and health while it saves thousands of pounds of CO2 used in the production of feed for livestock.

Buy Organic Foods – The chemicals used in food production pollute the water supply and require more energy in inputs to produce.

Getting There:
Buy a Hybrid Car – The average driver could save 16,000 lbs of CO2 and $3,750 per year.

Buy a Fuel-Efficient Car – Getting a few extra miles per gallon can make a big difference. Save thousands of pounds of CO2 and hundreds of dollars per year.

Make Fuel-Efficiency More Important than Speed—Avoid sudden acceleration or deceleration and high speeds whenever possible. Save thousands of pounds of CO2 and hundreds of dollars.

Carpool When You Can – Share a ride and save CO2 and $$$ every time you do.

Inflate Your Tires Correctly – Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.

Change Your Air Filter – Check your car’s air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.



Some of the Best Books to Help You Go Green:

Brower, Michael and Warren Leon, The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, New York, Three Rivers Press, 1999.

Durning, Alan, How Much Is Enough? New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1992.

Gore, Al, An Inconvenient Truth, Emmaus, PA, Rodale, 2006.

Jones, Ellis, Ross Haenfler and Brett Johnson, The Better World Handbook: From Good Intentions to Everyday Actions, Gabriola Island, B.C. Canada, New Society Publishers, 2001.

Wackernagel, Mathis and William Rees, Our Ecological Footprint, Gabrioloa Island, B.C., Canada, 1996.


There are also many good websites on green living. Look them up and become active as a Green Christian!