Eco - Eco News

POSTED: Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2009

How green are you?

In the course of a typical workday, you have many choices that can help or harm the environment. Think you're living and working green? Take the quiz and find out.

6 a.m.: Turn off the water while you're lathering up in the shower, or keep your shower to five minutes or less. +10

Shower for 15 minutes or more. -10

8 a.m.: Speed down Interstate 5 for your 25-minute commute to Mount Vernon. -15

Carpool with a coworker. 5

Use public transportation. 10

Walk or ride your bike to work. 15

10:30 a.m.: Set your printer and copier to ink up both sides of each page of paper. 5

Print and copy all your documents single-sided. -5

Noon: Bring a homemade lunch of fresh, local, organic foods that are all in season. 10

Grab a hamburger, fries and a soft drink from a fast-food restaurant. -10

2:15 p.m.: Buy bottled water from the vending machine at work. -10

Refill your reusable water bottle or sip from the drinking fountain. 10

5 p.m.: Shut your computer off when you leave work for the day. 5

Leave your computer on all night long. -5

7 p.m.: Properly fill your dishwasher before running it. 10

Under- or overload your dishwasher after dinner and turn it on. -10

8 p.m.: Check and pay your bills online. 5

Write checks to pay the bills you receive in the mail. -5

9:30 p.m.: Use iTunes or another media downloading site to buy a movie for the night's entertainment that doesn't have to be shipped or packaged. 5

Drive to a big chain retailer and buy a packaged DVD. -5

11 p.m.: Lower your thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees before turning in. 10

Leave the heat on to keep your house warm and toasty all night. -10

SCORING

75 points - You're living green.

60-70 points - Doing well. Try to make one more change.

45-55 points - You're a pale shade of green.

30-40 points - Are you really trying?

0-25 points - Time to make some lifestyle changes.

Negative points - You're a black hole.

Ideas and information come from the RE Sources Web site, www.re-sources.org. Check the Web site for more everyday ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.