Do you want to do your part to protect the climate but don’t have the funds for an electric vehicle or solar panels? Don’t worry. There are still plenty of actions you can take to protect the climate at little to no cost which also benefit the family budget. Why? Because a lot of climate protection is about resource conservation, which also saves money. Here is a list of no cost and low-cost actions to get started.

No Cost Actions:
• Bike or walk for short trips. (If you are uncomfortable biking in traffic, take a bike safety class to learn how to ride confidently and responsibly. Check them out at https://bikeeastbay.org/education)
• Carpool for work, kid activities, events, clubs and meetings.
• Work from home if possible (even 1 or 2 days per week helps).
• Clear out items from the trunk/rear of your vehicle.
• Check tire pressure monthly.
• Consolidate trips.
• Organize route in a clockwise fashion to minimize left-hand turns.
• Turn off the ignition while waiting for the Alameda bridges to come back down.
• Wash only full loads of dishes.
• Wash only full loads of laundry and use cold water.
• Lower (raise) thermometer setting 2 or 3 degrees in winter (summer).
• Request an Alameda Municipal Power home energy review at 510-748-3900.
• Sign up for Freeclycle Alameda to receive and give used items for free.
• Reduce food waste.
• Eat a plant rich diet.
• Take shorter showers.

Low-Cost Actions which pay for themselves in the long run:
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with LEDs (get rebates from AMP at https://alameda.dsmtracker.com/)
• Use dish cloths, rags and mops instead of paper towels and other disposables.
• Buy a reusable water bottle and fill with tap water instead of buying bottled water.
• Buy a reusable mug for coffee and tea instead of paper cups (most coffee shops give you a discount for doing so)
• Grow a vegetable garden
• Plant a fruit tree (figs, citrus and avocado do well in Alameda)
• Reuse cloth bags for shopping and avoid the bag charge.