Green is popular right now, but how many people are willing to sacrifice the conveniences of modern life to live green? It often seems like the things you need to do are very costly or overcomplicated and a lot of us just simply don't know where to get started. Rural people sometimes live simpler lives anyway. There are some simple and easy things you can do today that will help to reduce your carbon footprint and some of them will even help you save a little bit of money too.

When it comes to going green, every little bit counts and one of those little bits has to do with using paper towels.

• The fewer paper towels you use, the lower your carbon footprint will be. This may seem like a small thing, but every little bit adds up! One great way to lower use of paper towels is to get some good quality kitchen towels that you can wash and reuse and make sure you have them handy for drying your hands, wiping up spills, and drying off dishes.
• Limit the use of the actual paper towels to the really nasty messes. It doesn't really take much effort and you soon discover that you're spending less money on paper towels at the grocery store each week!
• Buy a programmable thermostat so you can keep your home at a steady temperature, but try to keep at 68° or below when you are home and 58° when you are sleeping or at work.
• Everyone knows that using energy-efficient appliances can help reduce your carbon footprint and save on utility bills, but not everyone can afford to buy new energy-efficient appliances. However, there are some things you can do that will help reduce your electric bill and be good for the environment.
• If you have a home computer (and who doesn't these days) then make sure you turn it off when you're not using it. Don't leave lights on in rooms that no one is in and take a good look at all the appliances that you normally leave plugged in all the time.
• Do they have little LEDs or lights? You might consider unplugging them as these little lights do consume some energy even when the appliance is off.

Going green doesn't have to mean taking extravagant measures like converting your home to solar energy, or driving an electric powered car.

Every little step counts, and you will find that these little steps lead to bigger steps and a less negative impact on the environment.