It starts with you. Your decisions at home have the power to protect or endanger Albuquerque's environment.

3 Things You Can Do:

1. Buy clean, renewable power like wind power through PNM's Sky Blue program.
2. Recycle at home.
3. Replace your lightbulbs with compact fluorescents.

Motivated to do more?

Here's a full list of actions you can take to promote a sustainable life in Albuquerque:

Action	Benefits
	Energy Supply	Air Quality	Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction	Waste Reduction	Water Supply and Quality	Land and Wildlife Protection
Buy clean, renewable power like wind power provided by PNM through the Sky Blue program.
Recycle at home. Learn about Albuquerque's Recycling Program >>
Replace your standard lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs, which use 1/4 the energy and last much longer. Learn more >> Learn about how to dispose of your fluorescent bulbs.
Set your thermostat to 65 degrees during the day and 55 at night.
Instead of turning up the heater, put on more warm clothing.
Replace your old appliances with energy- and water-efficient appliances that have Energy Star labels. Read more >> Take advantage of the City's rebate on high-efficiency washing machines.
Replace your wood-burning fireplace or stove with one that burns natural gas or propane.
Replace your old toilets with low-flow toilets and get the City rebate. A 1.6 gallon low-flow toilet could cut your indoor water use by as much as 20%!
Repair leaking faucets and toilets as soon as you notice them. A faucet drip or invisible leak in the toilet will waste up to 15 gallons of water a day - that's 105 gallons a week, which adds up to 5,475 gallons a year!
Remodel your home using "green" techniques and technologies. The Build Green NM initiative has a list of green builders in your area. Learn more about building green>>
Install low-flow showerheads and faucets. Low-flow showerheads deliver 2.5 gallons of water per minute or less. Older showerheads use 5 to 7 gallons per minute. Older faucets use between 3 and 7 gallons per minute. Low-flow faucet aerators use no more than 1.5 gallons of water per minute. The aerators can be attached to most existing faucets.
Wait to run your dishwasher and washing machine until you have a full load.
Turn off lights when you leave a room.
Switch to a tankless water heater. Your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water, and you won't waste so much waiting for the hot water to reach your tap.
Use a bucket to collect water while you're waiting for the hot water to reach your faucet. Instead of letting it go down the drain, use it to water your plants!
Take shorter showers. Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs.
Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth, rinsing dishes, or shaving. This can save 3 to 7 gallons of water per minute!
Wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket.
Compost your kitchen scraps rather than putting them in the garbage.
Lower the temperature on your hot water tank to 120 degrees.
Add storm windows, weather stripping, and caulk to your windows to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Learn more >>
Use your computer's "power down" or "sleep" function. Learn more >>
Install a solar or wind energy collector at your home. Learn more >>
Properly insulate your home to reduce heat loss and heat gain. Learn more >>
Unplug electronics when you're not using them. Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy.
Reduce your use of chemical cleaners at home. Try using natural alternatives like lemon juice and borax. Learn more >>
Follow City guidelines when disposing of household hazardous materials like furniture polish, nailpolish remover, and paint.

Change Your Lightbulbs!

Join millions of people across America in the One Billion Bulbs project!

You can easily reduce your energy use by replacing your incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs, which look like corkscrews. Learn more >>

Learn more

• Read more "Out of the Box" ideas at Recycle New Mexico.
• Visit the Your Home section of the U.S. Department of Energy Consumer Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
• Take the City of Albuquerque Water Conservation Quiz.
• Read the EPA's Climate Smart Tips to Protect the Earth tip sheet.
• Visit stopglobalwarming.org's Take Action page.
• Read through the Union of Concerned Scientists' Ten Personal Solutions and What You Can Do About Global Warming.