Set your thermostats a couple degrees lower

By setting your home and office heating systems just a few degrees lower, you'll save a sizable amount of energy. And you'll make your mother happy by wearing that ugly sweater she gave you last Christmas! You can save big. Most households shell out 50% to 70% of their energy budgets on heating and cooling, reports the Department of Energy. Yet, for every degree you lower the thermostat, you'll save between 1% and 3% of your heating bill.

Don't tap out

Teach children to turn off the water while brushing their teeth. Leaving the tap running during the recommended two minutes of brushing can waste up to five gallons of water a day.

Ditch the plastic cups

By that we mean the disposable throw-away cups- the type where you drink a coffee then throw the cup away. This can produce an extortianate amount of waste as hundreds of cups can be thrown out every day.  The simple solution is bring your own cup! If you have a vending machine, most will allow you to put your own cup when the drink is dispensed so the plastic cup won't appear. You'll get a bigger hot drink,  and a nicer looking mug.

Use Less Electricity

Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs each time you replace an old incandescent bulb. Compact fluorescents save 75 percent in energy use and last up to 10 times longer. As a bonus, you'll save money on your electric bill. Lights take up 65% of your electricity bill. So as you can see it is very important to find all the ways you can to save money! 

Wasted Energy from Cell Phone Chargers

Always unplug your cell phone charger when its not in use. They actually waste more power than they produce, and account for 6% of the national electric bill. They still suck power when plugged into the wall not charging anything. To save power, unplug them when thay are not being used, or look for Energy-star brand chargers.

Hazardous Waste

Properly dispose of hazardous waste. Cleaners, oils, paints, pesticides, batteries and solvents should never be thrown out with the household garbage; they end up contaminating the soil and groundwater in your community. Contact your city government or the EPA to find out how to properly dispose of these items.

New Mission

Owen County School District is beginning to form a new green iniative in our school district.  A district committee has been formed & more news will follow after our meeting this Thursday.  Maurice Bowling Middle School's Student Technology Leadership Program is doing a community service project this year called "Go Green to Save Green".  They will work to bring you tips each week of how you can help out to make our community more green.