Living a greener lifestyle feels complicated. But you can start with the easy steps and make a real difference, even if it's a small one at first.

Let's start with your light fixtures. As your light bulbs die, replace them with compact fluorescent light bulbs. These cost more at the store but use less energy and last up to 10 times longer, so they can be well worth the money. These are much better than the old fluorescent bulbs which had an awkward greenish cast and slight flicker at times.

Do you drink a lot of bottled water? Stop buying the little bottles and buy a reusable one. A good water bottle is easily washable and you can use tap water, filtered water or buy larger bottles if you just have to have the bottled water taste. But I find just having tap water ice cold helps the flavor tremendously.

If you just can't stand the taste of tap water try a filtration system. A good system can really change the taste and get rid of some of the flavors you don't want in your water.

Master your curbside recycling list. Many communities now offer curbside recycling. If you understand everything that can go into the recycling bin you can recycle quite a bit that might have otherwise gone into the landfill. You can also consider what can be recycled as you shop. Make recycling at home easier by having a separate bin for recycling by your main indoor trash can and elsewhere if convenient.

Use rechargeable batteries when you can and know how to properly dispose of old batteries. Some states now require that you recycle your batteries, but it can be difficult to know where to take them. Take advantage of http://www.rbrc.org/ and find out how to recycle batteries in your area.

Other things can be recycled too, in ways you may not have thought of. Some Goodwill locations will take old computers and parts. Check http://www.goodwill.org/page/guest/about/howweoperate/recycling to learn more about their programs. You can also get rid of old things you don't want through http://www.freecycle.org.

Consider water efficient showerheads. A good quality one will keep the noticeable difference to a minimum as you shower yet save quite a bit of water. Also try shortening your shower, which can cut both water and energy use.

Make your home more energy efficient. Even without replacing windows or blinds you can take steps that will make a difference. On sunny fall and winter days opening blinds on the side of the house that the sun shines directly upon the windows can help to heat your home naturally. Keep those blinds closed the rest of time for insulation, of course.

Also try putting on a sweater in winter rather than turning on the heater. Dropping that thermostat by a couple of degrees really can cut your energy usage.

Unplug chargers when they aren't needed. Does your electric toothbrush really need charging 24/7/365? Most can cope well with being charged once a week or even less. Cell phones and other such items also do not need their chargers plugged in all the time.

Other items such as picking local produce and bringing reusable shopping bags rather than getting bags every time at the grocery store may not be as easy but can be quite effective. These require more effort but are not all that difficult.

Living a greener lifestyle is not so impossible as it might feel. A few simple steps can make a difference even on those days you don't feel like trying. Best of all, many of these tips can save you money.

Every home office has the same needs. Whether you use your home office for paying bills and occasional correspondence, or you use your home office for business or career, chances are you use a lot of paper and a lot of printer ink.

Paper and toner are probably not things we spend a lot of time thinking about, until we run out of one in the middle of a project. Then it's off to the store to purchase, usually without a thought on price or convenience. We need it for a project, so we make the purchase.

Yet with a little time and planning, you could easily save hundreds of dollars a year. Consider these facts:

- Over $21 million worth of ink jet cartridges are sold each month throughout the United States.
- Over 95 percent of these ink jet cartridges will end up in the landfill.

Consumers have three options when deciding how to keep their printer filled with ink.

1. Purchase a new ink jet cartridge from a local retail location. As with other industries, when you wait to make a purchase when you need the product, you will usually pay a premium price. Retail stores are there for convenience, and offer you the maximum price for the ease.

2. Refill your existing ink jet cartridges. Many retail stores are offering this option. You simply bring in your existing cartridges, and refill them with the appropriate ink color. This still offers you the convenience of immediate purchase, but it can also be messy.

3. Purchase recycled ink jet cartridges. Recycling your ink jet cartridge allows you to save up to 70 percent off the retail price, and provides you with a way of keeping the cartridge out of the landfills. Recycling does take more time, and isn't an instant process, but the savings makes it worth it.

With recycling, most companies offer you the ability to mail in your cartridges to a company location. The company will refurbish the cartridge, refill it, and send it back to your location. The process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of days, depending on the mail and your location.

The best way to stay prepared for printing emergencies is to have two cartridges in place within your office system. When one cartridge runs out of ink, you send it in, and have a spare ready for printing.

Remember that old saying that your mom probably taught you–the one that goes “You’ll catch more flies with sugar than vinegar” (or something like that)? Well, when it comes to customer service, mother knows best. I remembered this saying last week when I went out to walk my dog, and found that the trash service had picked up everyone else’s recycling on the street but mine. This after the company hadn’t come at all the previous week. As I dialed the trash company, all of these angry sentence

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Our environment is suffuses with pollutants, carbon dioxide and different kinds of greenhouse gases, hence it is greatly damaged. In order to save it, we need to do something like starting a green life. In fact, there are many ways we can help. These ways are inexpensive and put forward them into our daily lives . The first step to start with is to consume less. You should use less electricity by turning off the lights and using natural lights. You should use less gas or oil by turning down

Simple ways to preserve the environment How can we live in a more environmentally friendly way? How can individuals help to reduce the carbon consumption? Indeed, there are a lot of ways that an individual can contribute. Let’s take a look now!These ways don’t have to cost a fortune and are easy to do in your daily lives. Some of them are just concerning whether you can use less or not.In the daytime, try to use natural light instead of using the light bulb. Use less gas or oil by combi

How can you live with a green style? How can you help protect the environment? In fact, you can achieve these goals with many choices. Without any cost, you can merge these things into your daily life easily. The first thing you can do is to spend less. You should use less electricity by turning off the lights and using natural lights. You should use less gas or oil by turning down the heat. You can also use less water by turning off the water when you are brushing your teeth. All of these won

by Amanda Wong Our environment is suffuses with pollutants, carbon dioxide and different kinds of greenhouse gases, hence it is greatly damaged. In order to save it, we need to do something like starting a green life. In fact, there are many ways we can help. Without any cost, you can merge these things into your daily life easily. The first thing you can do is to spend less. In the daytime, try to use natural light instead of using the light bulb. Use less gas or oil by combining your err

The following will be closed for today’s Labor Day holiday: All county offices in Escambia and Santa Rosa All city offices, including Century and Jay Schools in Escambia and Santa Rosa All public libraries, including Jay and Century Florida state offices All federal offices All post offices No bus service from ECAT Pensacola Junior College University of West Florida Trash Service There will be no change in ECUA trash or recycling service. Most ECUA customers in North