Cut Carbon Footprints, Save Green

Going green can do more than help save the planet. It can save and make you money.

By taking stock of your lifestyle and travels, you can get a view of your carbon footprint and learn online how to reduce it. Here are a few tools that can guide you.

The Nature Conservancy

With this group’s carbon footprint calculator, you can find out how you and your household impact the earth’s climate (and how that compares with average Americans) by taking into account your home energy use, how much you drive and fly, how you eat and whether you recycle.

Whether or not you cave more energy than your peers, the site suggests ways you can help prevent climate chang. Examples include teleconferencing instead of flying to a meeting, using compact fluorescent light bulbs and keeping your tires fully inflated to get the best gas mileage. These moves will not only save energy, but save money as well.

One Million Acts of Green

This site, sponsored by technology company Cisco Systems (Stock Quote: CSCO) uses aspects of social networking to rally the environmentally-conscious to challenge and encourage each other to modify their lives in big and small ways.

Several other site suggestions can also help you save on food and energy costs: grow your own vegetables, close your curtains on hot summer days and use your washer, dryer and dishwasher in the evenings.