With the soaring price of gas and my utility bill, I have attained a significant level of appreciation for the free "green" resources available online.

Let me share my baby steps to "greenhood".  The following things are ridiculously easy to do:

• Switch to compact flourescent light bulbs (the swirly bulbs).  Did you know that changing 5 of the most frequently used bulbs in your home can save you $100 per year on electric bills.  5 bulbs!!
  
  
• Recycle.  I know this one should be labelled, "Well, duh!" but many households (ours included) have not been dilligent in this area.  Sure, we recycle the really obvious items such as the daily newspaper, glass and cans but did we think about recycle options for numerous other household items before  throwing them in the handy trash can?  Nope.  MSNBC's article titled 7 Items You Didn't Know You Could Recycle brought this to my attention.

• Air-conditioning changes that have a major payoff are:
  
  
  • Program your thermostat.  Although my husband was born in California, he was truly meant to live in Alaska.  He likes it cold.  He has finally agreed that the family shouldn't need to wear sweatshirts in the house during the summer (when it is 90+ degrees outside), but the negotiated settlement is still outside the suggested "green range" for air conditioning temperature.  To compensate, we programmed the thermostate to go off during the day when no one is home and rarely heat our home in the winter (sweatshirts are then acceptable).
    
    
  • Change your air filters when recommended.   I don't know about you but we did a poor job of putting "change the air filters" on our household maintenance calendar.  When the air filter was finally so plugged with dust that it actually rattled in the ceiling, we realized that we had exceeded the recommended 90 days by approximately one year.
    
    
  • Plug air leaks in your ducts. This is actually a requirement of the California Energy Commission.  If you install or replace a central air condition or furnace, you must have your ducts tested for leaks.  Ducts that leak more than 15% must be repaired or replaced and the work must be certified by an approved third-party verifier in random samples of 7 ducts. 
    
    
  • Plant trees to provide shade for your house.

• Explore solar.  My curiosity on this topic was piqued during an airplane trip on which I met a fellow Californian - with a house more than twice the size of mine - who did not have a utility bill due to his use of solar. We are fortunate in California to have plentiful sun so check out the U.S. Department of Energy's solar website.
  
  
• Landscape with native plants.  In northern California, landscaping with native plants equals drought-resistant plants and at least 2" of mulch to prevent water evaporation.  The Contra Costa Water District offers a FREE Water Wise Gardening CD.
  
  
• When remodelling, green retrofit your home.  The U.S. Green Building Council has an amazing site on which they publish Guidelines for Green Renovations.  Check it out!