I have long been on my soapbox about the need to recycle. Paper, bottles, plastic – you name it – you recycle it! And for years this has been my mission. To see someone toss their trash unsorted made me crazy and consequently, made me even more persistent. I have since made a few major and many minor changes to my lifestyle. For beginners, many of my light bulbs have been changed to fluorescents, I refill my water bottles with each use (I workout nearly everyday) and I’ve completely done away with faxing…emailing requires “no” paper and far less energy. On a larger scale, I’ve been unable to purchase a hybrid car (keeping my eye on the decadent new Lexus LS hybrid); however, I’ve picked up a brand-spanking-new bicycle to save on fuel. Which I do ride!

My need to save the planet, or as some would say…save the world as we know it, has caused me to change my entire lifestyle, happily. I’ve read and researched and with vigor embrace my mission to single handedly conquer global warming. I know -- I know, this is next to impossible, but really every little bit does help. And, considering our kids are counting on us to make sure lakes remain lakes and winters remain winters, this seems a very small challenge.

I ask you to join me in my crusade against disappearing lakes, increasing forest fires, tainted drinking water, carbon dioxide emissions fuel and most recently, the shortage of grain. Which has me considerably concerned.

There are many simple things you can do in your daily life -- what you eat, what you drive, how you build your home -- that can have an effect on your immediate surrounding, and on places as far away as Antarctica. Here is a list of few things that you can do to make a difference.

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year. Take the Energy Star pledge.

Fill the Dishwasher. Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.

Use Recycled Paper. Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.

Adjust Your Thermostat. Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.

Change the AC Filter. Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.

Buy a Hybrid Car. The average driver could save 16,000 lbs. of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a hybrid or Buy a Fuel Efficient Car. Getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs. of CO2 and a lot of money per year.

Carpool When You Can. Own a big vehicle? Carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.

Reduce Garbage. Buy products with less packaging and always recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

Get Rid of Junk mail. 41pounds.org stops your junk mail and catalogs — protecting the environment. Junk mail wastes an incredible amount of natural resources and contributes to global warming. This nonprofit service covers your entire household for five years.

Plant a Tree. Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year. We’ll all breathe a little easier!

Unplug Un-Used Electronics. Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.

And a Hot Report favorite…Bring Cloth Bags to the Market. And there are so many chic ones to choose from, short of the ubiquitous I am Not a Plastic Bag. Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic or paper bags reduces waste and requires no additional energy.

I could carry on and on about things to do and sustainable products to own. From organic apparel and cosmetics, bedding and bath -- to furniture, tabletop and even computers, yes, Apple introduces the MacBook Air which comes in highly recyclable low volume packaging, is in a highly recyclable mercury free aluminum enclosure and has a mercury free LCD display with arsenic free glass. The internal cables are PVC-free and it meets Energy Star requirements. This is a step in the right direction for Apple and personal computers everywhere.

I’m always out recruiting and so are many other organizations. Here are a few to set you on the road to planet recovery! Take a moment to check them out and join me in making our world more sustainable. www.stopglobalwarming.org, 1% For The Planet, Acterra, "Action for a Sustainable Earth,” www.clickforGreenland.com, and my favorite resource, ecofirms.org!