When You’re at Home (continued)

Turn off the tap
The average faucet releases about three gallons of water a minute, so shut it off while you brush your teeth or shave.

Set a programmable thermostat
It will automatically adjust the heat or the air-conditioning to match your daily patterns. You won’t waste energy while your home is empty, and you won’t have to remember to turn the thermostat up or down. Want to do better? Turn it down two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer and you’ll keep nearly 880 pounds of carbon dioxide from warming the earth.

Don’t wash it
Standard washing machines use 40 gallons of water per load. If your clothes don’t stink, don’t wash them — and save a load a week. If American households were more judicious about laundry, each year they would save enough water to fill more than 7 million swimming pools. When you do wash, put full loads (saving 3,400 gallons of water a year) in cold water.

Free lint bunnies
The average U.S. household spends up to $135 a year in energy costs drying clothes. A dirty lint filter can use 30 percent more energy to get the job done.

Use biodegradable cat litter
Most cat litter is made from bentonite clay, which is mined and never breaks down. Americans dump 2 million tons of this into landfills every year, so it’s worth rethinking what you buy. Try the biodegradable, flushable brand Scientific (sold at www.petecology.com), which can be delivered to your door.