Some Ways to Reduce Your GHGs

Making a personal effort to reduce GHG emissions should be a personal goal for all Canadians, and people around the world. Here are a few ways that people can modify their personal activities if their lives to help reduce the emission of green house gases.
I’ve looked a few ways that people can reduce their emissions with help from the website, http://www.caledoncountryside.org/greenpower/CCA-2003021501.pdf , there is a list of "6 easy ways to Lose a Tonne (Of Air Pollution)". Their suggestions are written in italics.

1. "Replace 4 indoor lights with compact florescent light bulbs, and two outdoor lights with motion detector lights". This is a great idea, but to further it, couldn’t a house hold, or workplace just replace all of the their traditional light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs as they run out? The same goes for outdoor lights. People could drastically reduce their energy costs, and the amount of GHG’s they produce through using electricity if they replaced all or nearly all of their outdoor lights with motion lights.

2. "Have Energuide complete and audit of your home’s energy efficiency and follow up on their recommendations." This is a great idea, and could help to eliminate a lot of appliances that are energy sucking and waste producing machines. A few other home fixer-upers would be:
-improve window insulation so heat is not lost from poorly sealed window panes
-wash clothing in cold water
-hang dry clothes to reduce the energy required to use a dryer
-turn off lights when you leave a room
-recycle! Have bins for multiple types of recycling
-compost! This can reduce waste
-get some canvas bags for grocery shopping to eliminate the use of wasteful plastic bags
-try to cut down on waste produced by composting and avoiding individually packed items

3. "Turn off desktop computers overnight."
This is a great recommendation that can be applied at the workplace and at home. I know that the family computer at my house if left running frequently. Imagine how much energy is wasted in big office buildings because of all the computers being left on. This suggestion can also apply to radios, stereos, televisions, video players and other entertainment systems that are constantly left running.

4. "Reduce car emissions by: driving less than 80 kilometers a week (car pool, commute, combine errands, bike, roller blade, skateboard, walk), keeping your car tuned up with the tires inflated, reducing idling, and staying close to the speed limit will reduce pollution. Also, working close to home can reduce the amount of emissions that are produced by making lengthy commutes to work or can cut them out entirely by using a bike or walking.

5. "Plant Trees!" There are oodles of ways that trees can reduce emissions. First, they are carbon sinks, and they produce more oxygen. Plus, they can provide more shade for your house in the summer and reduce the cost of air conditioning.

And...if you have some money to throw around you could:
-invest in solar panels to make your home more energy efficient
-buy a fuel reducing car like a hybrid

Finally, in the market for a new home? Make it small, the smaller the house the less money that is spent on things like heating and cooling, which in turn would lower a person’s level of energy consumption.