Elizabeth Banks

We made it to 2013! In the past two years we survived Harold Camping’s Rapture (May 21, 2011) and the Mayan apocalypse (December 21, 2012). And while most of us had a good laugh about all of that, there is a real and serious threat on our planet earth.

If “going green” feels like a daunting task, filled with lots of hemp, granola, and Birkenstocks, listen up. Or, even if you’re an avid recycler and are committed to cloth diapering, this list from Wire&Twine has some great suggestions. They’ve compiled a list of 50 ways to help the planet. Some of them you may already know, but you might need a reminder. Many of them are so easy that you could implement them tomorrow.

Here are 5 of my favorites from the list:

1. Turn off your computers at night (and save $14 a year in energy)

2. Skip the hot cycle and wash your laundry in cold or warm instead (if everyone does it, we could save energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil a day).

3. Use your cruise. By using your cruise control, you could get up to 15% better mileage (and use less gas).

4. Reduce your junk. That pre-approved credit card you didn’t want is also a waste of paper. Try this iPhone/Android app PaperKarma to ditch the extra paper.

5. Get steamy and shower together! Save water, and get some added benefits ;-)

Check out the full list of ideas at 50waystohelp.com.

Which of these ideas do you think you can commit to?