Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only - not the street or sidewalk.
Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
Purchase "Green Power" for your home's electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.)
Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can.
Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
You may find recycling your old TV set a little more difficult than you might think if you are planning on purchasing a new digital TV this year.
A new report shows that less than half of television makers will actually take back your set here in Texas.
Robin Schneider is with the Texas Campaign for the Environment.
She says believe it or not, there is nothing stopping people from just throwing their old TV's in the trash.
“Dumping televisions, I think most people realize, is not a good idea,” said Schneider. “Even though it's legal here in Texas, we obviously need to tighten up our laws."
The Texas Legislature is expected in January to consider a new law requiring TV makers to take back their old products.
The law could also prohibit just throwing the old TV's away.
Schneider hopes it passes.
“They have had years to develop their marketing plans for selling new digital ready televisions,” she said. “Unfortunately, they did not put the same kind of forethought into the recycling program."
A citywide electronic drop off is going to take place on Saturday, December 6th at the Travis County Exposition Center.
It's important to remember you only need a new digital TV come February if you currently get your signal over the airwaves and you are not planning to buy a converter box.
Cable and satellite subscribers will not need a converter box.
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