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Reducing the impact of your home on global warming is mostly tied to the power plants that are run on fossil-fuels. The burning of these fossil-fuels such as oil, coal, natural gas creates carbon-dioxide which accumulates in the atmosphere, which contributes to a greenhouse effect, causing global warming. It is this carbon dioxide production that we are trying to reduce. Therefore, the principle of carbon conservation is to reduce the amount of power you consume in your house, which will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted.

There are small things that you can do to use less power. Replacing incandescent lights with compact flourescents is easier and less expensive than several years ago. The bulbs fit into a standard light bulb socket, produce just as much or even more light (measured in lumens) and are now available in a warmer light color, so they don't remind you of the lights in your dentist office. They also last much longer than their incandescent (regular) counterparts. You can now find fluorescent lights everywhere regular light bulbs are sold, including retail stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and any hardware store. There is no special equipment necessary, so it is a simple investment that can really reduce your energy usage.

Turn off lights in rooms that are unoccupied, or use timers to set when a light will go off. Use small task lights instead of turning on every light in a particular room. Try using natural sunlight during the day instead of turning all the lights on.

Wash your clothes in cold water, and line-dry them if possible. If you live in a temperate climate, hanging your clothes to dry is a viable option, though it does take a little more time. Washers and driers use a lot of energy. Washing your clothes with cold water uses less energy because the water does not need to be heated (which takes more energy than washing them in cold water). There are even special detergents optimized to work best with cold water. Also, without being dirty, evaluate your clothes before washing them. Does that shirt just need to be ironed? Did I only wear those jeans for five minutes while making up my mind as to what to wear? Clean clothes are a part of good grooming, but we often wash things that are not really dirty just because they've touched our bodies for a moment, or fell on the floor too close to the hamper.

Unplug appliances that are not being used. Stereo systems, coffee pots, video game systems, clocks and specialty lamps all use power even when

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