THE PROBLEM:
Rapidly depleting natural resources and Global Warming caused by explosive increase of carbon, methane and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

THE SOLUTIONS:
There are lots of simple things we can do to reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions, while sometimes also saving money. Here's a list of our favorite ten activities to help Mother Earth.

10. RECYCLE YOUR GLASS:
Americans generate almost 13 million tons of glass waste every year. Glass produced from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20% and related water pollution by 50%. You never know, it just may end up in your IceStone kitchen countertop!

9. CONSIDER A HYBRID CAR:
Hybrid cars, which run on a combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor have lower carbon dioxide emissions than standard cars. Some can get 60 miles per gallon, while a typical S.U.V. might travel around 15 m.p.g. Hybrids can offer substantial savings with record setting gas prices, and you may qualify for a one-time tax credit of up to $3,400 from the IRS.

8. LET THERE BE EFFICIENT LIGHT:
Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs). They can last up to 12 times as long as incandescents and use on average 75% less energy, saving you money instantly. Switching just one bulb will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

7. BUILD IT GREEN:
Before starting any home remodeling make sure your architect has green credentials. Try to use recycled materials, Low-VOC adhesives, carpets and paints where possible and request that energy-saving devices, such as solar panels be installed.

6. SWITCH TO RENEWABLE GREEN ENERGY:
Electricity is most commonly produced from coal and is a major cause of air pollution and carbon emissions. If available, get your electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind, sun, water, and biomass, all of which generate electricity with fewer environmental impacts.

5. PRINT DOUBLE SIDED:
American businesses throw away 21 million tons of paper every year, 175 pounds per office worker. For a quick and easy way to halve this, set your printer's default option to print double-sided (duplex printing). This has the added advantage of halving the paper pile on your desk.

4. PLASTIC VS. CANVAS BAGS:
It is estimated that Americans use 84 billion plastic bags annually. Made from polyethylene, plastic bags are not biodegradable and are making their way into our oceans and waterways. According to recent studies, the oceans are full of tiny fragments of plastic that are beginning to work their way up the food chain. Canvas shopping bags are a great alternative.

3. EAT GREEN (Fresh, Local, Organic, and In Season):
The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate, also frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce and organic food soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. So, where possible try to buy food that's fresh, in season, organic, and grown locally.

2. TWO DEGREES OF SEPARATION:
Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. By moving your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer you could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. That’s real cost savings for you and less carbon in the atmosphere for everyone.

1. PLANT A TREE:
It's the simplest thing in the world - gather acorns, chestnuts, sweet chestnuts, and sycamore seeds in the autumn, plant them immediately, and forget them until the following spring. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime and shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%.