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Fighting global warming locally really comes down to one thing: paying attention. There are literally dozens of ways to make a difference, all you have to do is identify them, and seize the opportunity.

REDUCE YOUR CONSUMPTION

1. Start doing things for yourself. Get a composter and grow some vegetables. Not only will those veggies have no carbon price tag, but keeping food scraps out of the landfill reduces emissions of dangerous methane gas.

2. Give gifts from the heart instead of the store. They will be much more appreciated, and cost you less. If you do buy something, look to used book stores, antique dealers and flea markets.

3. Ditch the paper and plastic. Opt for a reusable shopping, a travel mug and a refillable water bottle instead. These three little things are used my millions of people every day, and take up a lot of room in the landfill.

4. Eat less meat. Vegetables are better for you, and intensive farming practices are hard on our agricultural land.

REDUCE YOUR OUTPUT

1. Drive less. If you live close to work or school, take your bike instead. When you do drive, try carpooling whenever possible.

2. Drive better. Vehicles are getting more energy efficient all the time. Hybrid vehicles have a fraction of the emissions, and cost much less in gas and repairs. Ethanol and biodiesel are becoming more widely available and reduce your car's emissions.

3. Recycle as much as possible. This means not just putting empties in the blue box, but finding multiple uses for things before you discard them. Give clothes to charities or reuse the fabric for sewing projects; write your shopping list on the bask of old envelopes; store leftovers in yoghurt containers instead of buying new tupperware.

REBUILD COMMUNITIES

1. Shop locally. When products have to travel a great distance to get to the store, they come with a big carbon price tag. One of the easiest ways to start is with your grocery shopping. Take a trip to your local farmer's market for your roduce.

2. Share. Instead of you and your girlfriends all buying the same magazine, pass it around. Split the drives to hockey practice with other parents. Pass along just about anything you can think of on Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) and international gift posting board.

3. Join community environmental groups like the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org). These are great because they organize activities for you.

4. Organize events with friends and coworkers like park cleanups, bike to work days, and book swaps.

5. Let your government know what you think of their work. Especially at the local level. Remember, you elect them, so they really do listen.

SET AN EXAMPLE

The best place to start is obviously at home. Replace wasteful bulbs with compact fluorescents, turn down your thermostat and fix leaks and draughts.

Many small steps do add up, so start taking some today.

Learn more about this author, Krista White.
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