7 Eco Sins  Environmental no-nos and how to avoid them

By Connie Midey 

 1. Driving a gas-guzzler

Consider how little carbon dioxide a 2005 Toyota Prius hybrid emits into the air, an estimated 4,995 pounds a year compared with 11,179 pounds for a Toyota Highlander SUV and 11,728 for a Toyota Tacoma truck.

2. Wasting water

Someone who used to allow the water to run while brushing her teeth guesses that thousands upon thousands of gallons are wasted daily.

3. Buying too much stuff

We all like lots of stuff! Lots of stuff comes from far away, is only used for a brief period of time and may or may not having anything to do with our long term well being!

4. Devouring resources

Your builder might be responsible for the size of your house, but you control how much energy the house uses. When you cool your house to 70 degrees so you can be comfortable today, you are unintentionally hurting future generations.  Use a digital thermostat and weather strip around doorways!

Did you know...that a 58 inch Panasonic plasma TV (model TH-58PZ75OU) uses 562 watts when on and costs $174.73 annually to operate, according to a CNET review of HDTV power consumption. http://reviews.cnet.com