by Carter Oosterhouse

Topsail Island, NC - (NAPSA)-More than ever, Americans are looking to "green" their lifestyles; however, they are often confused by abundant and conflicting messages. To help clear up the confusion, HGTV has teamed up with the Natural Resources Defense Council on the Change the World. Start at Home campaign to provide simple steps on how to live a more eco-friendly life and reduce our collective impact on the environment.

Simple steps can truly make a big difference. For instance, if Americans recycled 32 percent of their garbage, it would save 49 million metric tons of carbon from being emitted into the air-the energy equivalent of saving 11 billion gallons of gasoline.

Renewable and Reusable Resources

It is an oldie but a goody: Recycle, reuse and renew!

Choosing water bottles made from renewable resources or reusable materials, such as aluminum, saves groundwater from being polluted, since manufacturing just one plastic bottle pollutes 25 liters of water.

Twelve million barrels of oil were used to make the 88.5 billion plastic bags consumed in the United States last year, so carry a reusable bag with you for groceries, shopping, and take-out food.

Green Home

Changing the world can start at home.

If every U.S. household replaced just one roll of 1,000-sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissues with 100 percent recycled rolls, we could save 373,000 trees, 1.48 million cubic feet of landfill space, and 155 million gallons of water.

Americans use an average of 25 gallons of toxic chemical products each year in their homes, most of which are in household cleaning products and many of which can harm your health.
Clean your home with non-toxic and natural cleaning products. Just about anything can be cleaned with white vinegar and baking soda-and a few drops of lemon or your favorite essential oil makes things smell fresh and clean without the use of harsh, toxic chemicals.

Save Money and the Environment

A few easy changes can make a big difference in your energy bill and in the amount of pollutants emitted into the air.

Replacing a regular lightbulb with a compact fluorescent lamp can save you $30 to $60 on electricity during its lifetime and keep one ton of global warming pollution out of the air.
Screen savers-or any moving images on your monitor-can cost an extra $50 or more of electricity a year. Start by turning off your screen saver and cut even more energy that your computer uses by putting it in sleep mode when it is not in use.

Visit HGTV Change the World. Start at Home Web site at www.hgtv.com/changetheworld for additional green living tips.

Carter Oosterhouse is the expert craftsman of HGTV's "Carter Can" and "Red, Hot and Green" and host of the "HGTV Green Home Giveaway."

Carter Oosterhouse