How to Be an Environmentalist at Home

Even if you think global warming is an urban legend, it is hard to ignore the environmental impact of modern life. Most people will agree that wanton use of resources and energy is irresponsible at best. Many will even go so far as to say it is downright dangerous to the environment and to the well-being of future generations.

Yet, when asked, most people don't know what they can do to help. Many aren't even sure there is anything they can do. After all, the problem is so enormous, it is surely something that the world governments and large corporations should tackle. There is nothing that any one individual can do. Or is there?

Here are 10 ways to cut down on your personal environmental impact:

1. Line-dry your laundry. Laundry can be hung outdoors in good weather and hung inside, on clothes bars, in not so good weather. Hanging laundry has many benefits, in addition to lower energy usage for your home. Frugal people have been hanging laundry for decades. If you make the switch to hanging all of your family's laundry, you will see a real decrease in your energy bills. Hanging laundry inside during the dry winter months also helps to put some much-needed moisture back in the air. And, in the spring, summer and fall, nothing beats the smell of line-dried laundry. No fabric softener in the world can duplicate the real thing.

2. Cut back on paper products. Paper towels and napkins are a modern convenience that most of us have come to think of as the only way to tackle certain household jobs. Paper towels are easily replaced with rags. Old towels make excellent rags that are far more absorbent than the most expensive paper towels. Cloth napkins add an elegant touch to the simplest family meals. They are easily washed with your regular laundry. If you own two sets of cloth napkins, you will always have one set ready to use at dinner time. Like line-drying laundry, doing away with paper products in your home will also save money.