There has been new research released by Michigan State University that shows how changing some of your everyday decisions can collectively reduce U.S. household CO2 emissions by about 20% per year. One of the highlights of this report is the types of changes each household can make to help improve the environment. They are relatively small changes that do not diminish quality of living.

The study doesn’t suggest that you compost your TV or recycle your Corvette into an eco-friendly playscape for endangered tree-hugging hippies. Instead, Michigan State University’s study offers realistic compromises that you (and your great grandchildren) can live with. You can read the report for yourself at The Behavioral Wedge.

If you look around the various media sources you will see how much focus of creating positive environmental change has been placed on governmental policy change. There are a few exceptions, but when I pick up a paper or watch something on the environment, there is usually a politician or a corporate leader placed squarely in the camera frame. Instead of sitting around waiting for others to clean up the mess I like to find out what I can do to help. No matter how small a change I make it is still change, and in the aggregate, that change does more than just provide a cleaner and greener neighborhood – it changes the way our society thinks and works.

For a healthy environment we need cap-and–trade programs, create limits on auto emissions and we need (and expect) our government to regulate corporate polluters. It makes sense that we monitor ourselves and expect our neighbors to refrain from pouring motor oil into the sewer on the corner of the lawn. We should pay attention to how much energy we consume on a daily basis – not just because it can save us money, but because it will save the earth.

I recently made a small but important micro-eco decision for my home. I spent $12 on energy efficient light bulbs. I can tell you that it wasn’t easy for me to part with 12 bucks for some light bulbs – I mean, c’mon. They’re just light bulbs! But I told myself that I was going to start making these kind of decisions. Admittedly, I consoled myself with the fact that they would lower my overall electricity bill and would last at least four times as long as regular bulbs. I guess that will help me sleep better at night. At any rate, this is another good example of the small changes that we can all make.

I know you have some interesting yet practical ways to make small green changes in your apartment home. What are they?

We were so inspired by Pepsi reallocating their marketing money to go toward the greater good in their Pepsi Refresh campaign that we decided to do our own small part in helping out our communities. We will be posting blogs on ways that we have contributed to bettering the communities we live in. I hope you enjoy and are inspired to make a difference!

Related posts:

1. Pepsi Refresh: Pepsi is doing good – My complex is doing good
2. A Greener Clean
3. Pepsi Refresh: Help Someone at a Grocery Store
4. Pepsi Refresh: Elderly Connection
5. Clearing Snow in the Community: Pepsi Refresh

Tags: CO2 Emissions, Earth Day, Eco-friendly, energy, environment, Environmentally friendly, green living, Pepsi Refresh, pollution, quality of life, Sustainability