There are several ways you can go green and help the environment. A little consciousness goes a long way toward saving the planet.

• Tip #1: Recycling the basics - like newspapers, aluminum cans and glass bottles - is simple and enormously effective. Seek out your community's recycling system and make use of it.

• Tip #2: Conserving gasoline is good for the environment and good for your wallet, too. Try walking to lunch from the office. Carpool with your coworkers. See if you can take advantage of public transportation. The more you can help cut down on fuel emissions, the better your air quality will be.

• Tip #3: Always change your furnace filters regularly - this will make the furnace run efficiently, thereby saving the energy it needs to run.

• Tip #4: Set timers on your outdoor lighting. The timers will shut the lights off automatically after daybreak, keeping forgotten porch lamps from draining energy all day. 

• Tip #5: Organizations like the National Arbor Day Foundation promote preservation and growth of the trees - and supporting them contributes to tree planting in your community.

• Tip #6: Pay your bills online. Paper bills sent through the mail consume millions of trees per year; transferring your finances online can make a big dent in the destruction.

• Tip #7: Awareness is really the most important green tip of all. Inform as many people as possible about all of these simple steps for going green.