Conserving energy....... 
"Going Green" means more than planting a tree or drinking green tea. With just a little concentrated effort, we can all help improve our environment. I recently went to a seminar at the St Louis Real Estate Board office about "St. Louis Green". There were representatives there from various companies telling what they do to use "green" products in homes. Ameren UE was there talking about their PurePower program. They own a windmall farm north of Kansas City. It's called the Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm, in King City, Missouri. You can opt to have your home or business on their renewable energy program. An additional charge of 1.5 cents per KWH wil be added to your monthy bill for this. They say that Pure Power helps to: 1. Diversity our regional energy supply. 2. Support homegrown, local renewable energy development 3. Keep our air clean & healthy, both now & in the future. For the average home, enrolling in Pure Power for one year creates the same carbon reduction benefits as if you don't drive a car for two years.
There were builders there who told about how they are using design features & products that are environmentaly friendly. Their goal is to protect our ecosystems,improve air & water quality, reduce waste, & conserve natural resources. To build a home that would be classified as "Green Verified", they have to follow the National Association of Home Builders Model Green Homebuilding Guidelines. They incorporate environmental considerations into every phase of the homebuilding process.
One builder from Eureka is using a geothermal heating system. On their brochure, it says on a home with around 3,000 sq. ft., that the heating, cooling, & hot water energy cost would be about a dollar a day! There was a rep there from James Hardie Siding Products. That siding is a concrete composite, with a baked on, 15 year color finish. It is fire resistant & hail resistant. I heard that some insurance companies offer a discount on your premium if you have that type of siding.
Got stuff you are going to pitch? Figure out who may need it before you toss it out to head to the landfill. Try selling it on Craigslist, give it to Goodwill, or advertise it on Craigslist as Free. I gave away a Kenmore canister vacuum cleaner by putting it on Craigslist. A guy drove here almost an hour to pick it up. He needed some parts from it. I also had a computer monitor that I put on Craigslist as Free. The guy who picked it up was giving it to a neighbor of his who had a fire & just lost his computer. I'd rather see stuff go to a good use rather than filling up a landfill higher & higher. Makes you feel great that you didn't have to toss it & that someone had a need for it.
Try to conserve gasoline! I remember the days of gas lines. Believe me, it was no fun. I still see people driving like they are in a race to get to the next red light. I just don't get it. I drive my Honda scooter as much as I can. It gets about 75-80 mpg. I wish the American car makers would hurry up and produce some really fuel efficient hybrids. Sounds like Ford is on the right track with the Fusion Hybrid (made in Mexico). GM needs to get with it. They are years behind the times. People need to be smarter & plan their trips wisely to avoid unnessary driving, thereby reducing oil consumption & pollution. I plan my routes to get the best use out of a tank of gas I possibly can. You don't have to go out and hug trees, but start thinking about conserving. Drivers in other Countries don't spill one drop of fuel. Don't be wasteful. Drive smart, save money!