“We changed all of the bulbs in the Governor’s office from regular incandescent light bulbs to Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs, known as CFLs. City Year volunteers then went into legislators’ offices and meeting rooms to do the same. Swapping 1,000 incandescent light bulbs in the State House with 1,000 compact fluorescents will, by itself, save taxpayers $15,000 a year, cut electricity consumption by 128,000 kilowatt hours, and reduce carbon emissions from power generation by 56 tons. It’s a small start, but such small starts add up to big savings—in our pocketbooks, and for our environment.” –Governor Deval Patrick (Milton, MA)

“I usually walk to work. Now I have a state car when I need it during the day, but in my last job I used Zipcar. Last year, I got an energy audit at home from my electric utility. I'd already done a lot of energy eff iciency upgrades—insulation, compact f luorescents, and all the rest—so they didn't have a lot to suggest. But I did take their recommendation of a programmable thermostat, which automatically turns down the heat and air conditioning when no one's at home, and I recently got an Energy Star washer and dryer for my house—they save a lot of energy and water (my two-year-old daughter produces a lot of laundry!).” –Ian Bowles, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (Charlestown, MA)

“A really simple one to start with: turn the water off when you brush your teeth. You’ll save about 20 gallons of water a week, which can add up to a lot of water!” –Julie Kramer, DJ WFNX 101.7 (Boston, MA)

“I have a little American flag on a tooth pick that I got off of a cupcake. I stuck it behind my thermostat at the beginning of the winter and every time I go to turn it up I remember the men and women fighting in the war. Then I go put another sweater on.” –Richard Downey, Dance Instructor, Harvard University (Roxbury, MA)

“I use biodiesel in my car. While, at 90 cents/gallon, it's cheaper than gas, when you factor in the cost of schlepping grease from restaurants, and turning my garage into a mini-processing plant, it's not a huge savings. So the real reasons for using it are political and environmental—I like the idea that everyone in the biodiesel movement is making a difference in breaking our dependence on foreign oil, and I feel good knowing that I am burning a fuel that is much cleaner for the environment.” –Tom Schneider, Marketing Consultant (Winchester, MA)

“I’ve been fixing up our family cabin in Vermont and have thus far used several different recycled materials. Support posts and countertops came from fir and poplar trees downed by wind. The ceiling boards and exposed beams came from a 150-year-old local barn that was being dismantled. For the porch railings and spindles, we are using Christmas tree trunks that I collected from the Marblehead Transfer Station (aka the dump) and de-limbed after the holidays. Our insulation is “Ultratouch” from The Green Depot (Stoneham, MA), which is 85% post-industrial recycled natural fibers.” –Reese Rickards, Vice President, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management (Marblehead, MA)

“At Improv Asylum, we’ve rewired our stage lighting system to get rid of redundant electrical work, purchased new lighting cans, and replaced older bulbs with more energy-efficient versions. Now the lighting uses nearly a quarter of the energy that was required before. Oh, and my car stinks of beer from recycling all the theater’s beer cups…a small price to pay for recycling as long as I don't get pulled over on the way home.” –Norm Laviolette, Co-owner, Improv Asylum (Duxbury, MA)

“I am addicted to Starbuck’s and go there for coffee at least once a day. Our recycling staff recommends reusable coffee mugs, so I bought a stainless steel travel mug and use that now. And a side bonus: the steel keeps the coffee hot for a very, very long time. I got out of a two-hour meeting the other day, and the coffee I bought before the meeting was still warm. Love that!” –Anthony Abruzese, Internet Strategy Unit, Department of Environmental Protection (Boston, MA)

“I got a water purifier for my faucet at home, and drink the purified tap water rather than buying water in big plastic containers. At work, I keep a ceramic coffee mug and use that instead of disposable ones.” –Paul Denning, Director Media Relations, MIT Sloan School of Management (Watertown, MA)

“Instead of using bubble wrap or plastic peanuts, I use my recycled shopping bags and periodicals as packing insulation when sending things to clients.” –Jim Hill, Photographer (Lowell, MA)

“I ride my bike to work, even when there’s snow on the ground. Well, not when there’s a major snowstorm, but a few inches of snow has never stopped me.” –Joshua Wilson, Quality Assurance Engineer (Brookline, MA)

“I don't subscribe to a newspaper—I read the news online instead. And I carry around a re-usable metal water bottle instead of buying bottled water when I’m traveling.” –Kelly McCutcheon-Adams, Director, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (Cambridge, MA)

“I can’t take credit for this one—I heard it on NPR, but it’s worth sharing because it’s so simple and brilliant. If you just move the tabs on all your Word documents from an inch to half an inch on each side—just enough to clear the amount the printer prints out—and then single space the documents, over time Word users can save about a zillion trees and gallons of water!” –Elissa Traher, Graphic Designer/Owner of Traher Design (Lexington MA)

“Instead of using paper bags, my husband and I pack our kids’ lunches in re-usable cloth bags—they’ve had the same ones for nearly 3 years now! We also use Thermoses instead of disposable juice boxes.” –Rebecca Perlo, Physician Assistant, Lahey Clinic (Arlington, MA)

“I've stopped driving aggressively. It started as a safety and stress-reduction thing. Then I read about how much more gas you consume with all the quick accelerating and braking. I try to remember that when I’m tempted to get back at someone for cutting me off.” –Rachel Eastwood, Graphic Designer & Production Manager, Harvard Medical School (Melrose, MA)

“Sadly, the E Street Band does not often…ever... play backup during my shows. For that reason, my dependable backup boombox (“The D.A.”) is powered by rechargeable batteries. The D.A. then comes alive... like a spirit in the night.” –Pat Healy, Lead Singer, Uke Springsteen (Somerville, MA)

“I put all my non-meat kitchen scraps, non-recyclable paper, and yard waste (grass clipping, leaves, etc.) into a compost bin in my backyard. I toss in some peat moss and lime from time-to-time, and stir it every few weeks. A good compost pile actually generates its own heat and will often be steaming on cool days. I empty it into my garden twice a year (usually in the fall and spring).” –Ethan Nedeau, Owner of Biodrawversity (Amherst, MA)

“I save plastic bags from the grocery store and use them to dispose of cat litter.” –Adriana Jenkins, Public Relations Consultant (Watertown, MA)

“When the skunks dug up our grub-laden lawn, we tilled it and planted a wildflower meadow with native flowers and grasses. The upkeep is easy—it just needs to be mowed every other year. We watered it at first, but stopped once the plants got established. And the grubs are gone without any pesticides—and the birds love it!” –Jim McGrath, Registered Nurse, Brockton Visiting Nurse Association (Easton, MA)

“I sold my car and walk everywhere. It took some getting used to at first, but I don’t miss the parking tickets! I have also been training for the Boston Marathon, so I will sometimes run to my destination instead of taking a cab. I’m getting more exercise, and saving money at the same time.” –Jodi A. Wolin, Chief Development Officer, Massachusetts Children’s Trust Fund (Boston, MA)

“I figured since every month I was panicking and paying my bills at the last minute, I might as well request the paperless billing option to avoid horrendous late fees. I saved some trees and my sanity. Everyone wins!” –Cathleen Carr, 1/2 of the comedy duo Two Girls for Five Bucks (Somerville, MA)

“I travel a lot, whether for work or bird watching around the globe. So before I leave home I make sure to turn my thermostat down to 52 degrees, unplug my television (it still draws electricity even if it’s off), and set my water heater to its ‘vacation mode’ to minimize how much energy my house uses while I’m away.” –Jan Smith, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Bays Program (Marblehead, MA)

“I don’t have a place in my yard for compost, but my city recycles lawn clippings, so I put all my compostable items (kitchen scraps, paper, etc.) out with my lawn clippings.” –Tim Dreher, Owner, Dreher Physical Therapy (Newton, MA)

“My husband and I have always recycled the obvious paper stuff, but we’ve been expanding upon that lately. Basically, we recycle every scrap of paper or cardboard that we bring into our house—food boxes, bread inserts (e.g., the piece of cardboard that holds English muff ins in their bag), the cardboard around a pack of sausages, egg and berry containers, the cardboard the drycleaner puts in the shirt—as long as it doesn’t have food scraps stuck to it, we recycle it all, down to the empty toilet paper roll!” –Sari Kalin, Nutritionist (Arlington, MA)

“Emerson College’s recently completed Piano Row Residence Hall and Max Mutchnick Campus Center has been LEED certified. With the new facility, we had an opportunity to show how effective green construction methods can be, and by promoting development density, energy efficiency, and even employing rainwater collection, we feel we have been able to do just that.” –Tim Douglas, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admission, Emerson College (Boston, MA)

“I installed a ‘set-back’ thermostat for about $25 that will save me a lot of money on heating, and whenever possible, I bike instead of driving.” –Todd Callaghan, Water Quality Specialist, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (Somerville, MA)

“I love to garden–both vegetables and ornamental plants. However, I do not like to use the hose to water my plants because I am concerned about my personal water use. Instead, I collect water from my roof to water the garden, hanging plants, and perennials. I have not used the hose to water my plants in years—not even during our recent hot, dry summers! Observing where water flows from my house has led to more vegetation around my home and less water in my basement. It is amazing how such a small effort of gathering rainwater can limit my impact on the water supply. (One note of caution: Standing water is prime mosquito spawning habitat. Cover your rain barrels. [I use a reused screen from an old door] to prohibit mosquitoes from laying eggs. Also, keep a vigilant eye on your standing water, as mosquitoes are crafty and will find any way into your rain barrels. If you see a mosquito larvae or pupae in the water, get a dip net and remove it.)” –Tony Wilbur, Marine Ecologist, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (Beverly, MA)

“At home and in my business, I buy local products whenever possible. Also, I always try to carpool to shows and meetings with other local merchants.” –Cory Clarke, Saucy CEO, Shootflying Hill Sauce Company, Inc. (Brookline, MA)

“Whenever possible, I hang clothes out to dry. if the weather isn’t cooperating, I use the dryer until things are damp, then I hang them up to air dry. I also have special dryer balls—as seen on TV!—they really do dry things faster by maximizing air circulation.” –Miles Freedman, IT Director, Greater Media Boston (Boston, MA)

“My son Caleb has collected some interesting junk off the street on our walks, and he actually made a really cool collage out of it for a Father’s Day present one year. A couple of our interesting finds this year include a squashed cell phone and a rhinestone Baby Phat heart-shaped earring. So, we’re reusing and cleaning up the neighborhood!” –Dana Ortegon-Spillos, Freelance Writer (Jamaica Plain, MA)

“I pick up boxed scrap paper from a copy center in Boston and give it to my kids for drawing. After they use it, we recycle the paper.” –Lori Nollet, Graphic Designer (Cambridge, MA)