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4 Simple Ways To Save The Planet

If you saw Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth--and wanted to do more to help the environment--this book is for you.

Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century, edited by Alex Steffen, has hundreds of suggestions to make the world a better place. A few we've started following:

1. Get a home-energy audit. Ask your local utility company to evaluate your heating and cooling systems. This service, which is usually free, can recommend ways to cut down on your home's environment-damaging carbon emissions.

2. Install a low-flow showerhead. By forcing air into the water flow, these faucets produce a strong spray while reducing the amount of water used. One that still makes us feel pampered in the morning: the Lowest Flow showerhead ($12; gaiam.com).

3. Switch to recycled paper products. It takes 40 percent less energy to make paper from recycled stock than from virgin materials. Easy swaps to make today: Use paper towels and toilet tissue from earth-friendly companies like Seventh Generation (from $3.99; drugstore.com).

4. Avoid idling. If you need to warm up your car engine on a cold winter day, try to limit idling time to less than 30 seconds to keep your fuel emissions low.