e2 Citizens - categories for setting goals

Following are the seven areas where you can make a difference today!

Transportation

The average American drives over 250 miles per week. Most of these miles are short trips. Reducing your weekly mileage by just 20 miles will decrease your annual carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 1000 pounds.

Energy conservation

The vast majority of electricity in Utah is generated by burning coal. By using a few energy efficient techniques you will reduce your energy bills by up to 50%, help reduce air pollution, and help combat global warming.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

The average American generates around 4 1/2 pounds of trash per day. That adds up to over 1700 pounds per year.

Water

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, on average, each person in the U.S. uses 80 to 100 gallons of water per day, which amounts to over 29,000 gallons per person per year. A few simple water conservation measures can reduce your water usage by more than 30%.

Food

Food for the average meal travels 1200 miles to reach your plate. If 100,000 people purchased locally-grown produce at a farmers market just once a month, it would reduce over 3000 tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the air from transportation alone.

Health

According to the National Institute of Health obesity rates among adults have increased by more than 60% in the last 15 years. In 2004, 64% of adults age 20 and over were considered overweight.

Community education

Get involved in your local community and share ideas. Imagine: if you share what you know with four people and they immediately share it with four more people and so on, it will take less than three weeks for the entire planet to know.

For more detailed information, web links and a bibliography, click here.