1. Turn off lights, taps and electric appliances promptly when not in use.

2. Print on both sides of the paper. This will save half a forest.

3. Climb the stairs instead of taking the lift. It will save energy and keep you fit.

4. Greening is not just about planting trees out of town. Keep plants at home. You don't need to drive anywhere.

5. A plastic bag costs 0.5 Yuan. But the pollution it causes may cost 50 times as much.

6. A perfect bathroom does not need a bathtub. If you have one already, use it less and take more showers. Use waste water to flush the toilet.

7. Close programs on your computer when you are not using them. It will improve the performance of your computer and can save electricity.

8. People who bike to work don't need to worry about fuel prices.

9. Don't turn on all the lights as soon as you get home. The electric light has only been around for 130 years. Human beings were able to live without it for thousands of years.

10. The satisfaction you get from helping save the environment by taking the bus will more than compensate for any feelings of superiority you might get by driving a car.

11. Resist the atavistic impulse to dress in fur.

12. Global warming is kind of revenge for the overuse of air conditioning and heating.

13. Use throwaway toothbrushes, plastic bags, bottles and cups as little as possible. Because you are also throwing away the crude oil that was used to produce them.

14. If you have seen how sharks' fins are collected do you still have an appetite for shark's fin soup?

15. Use less hardwood. Bamboo furniture is a better choice, because bamboo grows faster than trees.

16. The simplest way to use solar power is to work during the day.

17. Eating too much meat hurts three beings: the animal, yourself and the earth.

18. Wedding ceremonies are not an excuse to show off how rich your family is. The new fashion is to hold a simple, low-carbon ceremony.

19. It's a myth that dishes can only be washed under a running tap.

20. You can reply confidently that the reason you only wash your clothes when you have a full basket is not because you are lazy, but to save energy and water.

21. It's expensive to raise kids. Using secondhand toys, clothes and books makes sense.

22. Car pooling saves money and energy, relieves tiredness and eases traffic all at the same time.

23. Switch off the engine when you are stuck in a traffic jam.

24. Check your tires regularly. Too low or too high pressure increases fuel consumption.

25. Clean air conditioners regularly, not only for your health, but also to save energy.

26. 93 octane gasoline is good enough for most cars. Using 97 octane costs more and may damage your engine.

27. You can save gas by slowing down gradually rather than slamming on the brakes.

28. Some people, especially women, use 4 or 5 liters water when taking a shower. There's such a thing as being too clean.

29. Don't put hot leftovers in the fridge. It increases the load on the fridge and wastes energy.

30. The outdoor part of your air conditioner is already water-proofed. There is no need to put on an extra cover. It interferes with heat emission and use more electricity.

31. Bubbles don't make clothes any cleaner. Low foaming detergents mean easier rinsing, saving water, energy and time.

32. Set your washing machine to high output. It will save energy and prolong its operating life.

33. A TV in standby mode uses 10 percent of the electricity it consumes when switched on. Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.

34. When listening to music on your computer, turn off the screen.

35. If you use lots of hot water, leave the water heater on. It uses less energy to keep water warm for a day than heating up cold water from scratch.

36. Washing a car by hand uses 1/8 of the water used hosing it down.

37. Reducing the height of your cistern by 2 cm will save 4 cubic meters water a year.

38. Keep accounts of your energy consumption. See how much you can save in a month.

39. Check energy saving labels when purchasing household appliances.

40. Experiments have proved that boiling water on medium heat saves energy.

41. Ignorance is no longer an excuse. Throwing used batteries in the trash can is irresponsible.

42. Carry your own chopsticks and spoon. This is the mark of an environmentalist.

43. The most economical way to store food in a fridge is to 80 percent of capacity.

44. Having short meetings means less energy spent on lighting, air conditioning, microphones and so on.

45. Go out when you are just sitting around. Being "indoorsy" costs lots of energy.

46. Purchase local and seasonal products as often as you can. Transportation and packaging consume more energy than production.

47. Plant trees to offset your CO2 emissions.

48. Buy more cotton, flax and silk clothes. They are elegant, fashionable, durable and environmentally friendly.

49. Is it necessary to tumble-dry? Just hang your clothes in the sun!

50. Statistics from United States show that per capita resource consumption rises 42-61 percent after divorce. Protect the earth by defending marriage!

(China Development Gateway by Jiao Meng November 29, 2010)