Cut your "carbs": global warming is a hot topic these days. Here are some simple way to reduce your carbon footprint.(PERSONAL CARE: ECO-WISE)

It's time to go on a diet--a carbon diet, that is. Instead of counting calories, environmentalists, forward-thinking business owners and even ordinary folk are calculating how big their carbon footprint is. What is a carbon footprint? It's the amount of carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) thrust into the atmosphere based on day-to-day activities like driving, heating our homes and even gardening. As C[O.sub.2] accumulates in the atmosphere, it creates a blanket around the Earth that prevents excess heat from escaping into space.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, C[O.sub.2] emissions during the past 10 years were the highest in history, nudging the temperature up nearly a half a degree. While that doesn't sound like much, bear in mind that a change of even a few degrees can cause ice caps to melt, oceans to rise, unseasonable heat waves, longer periods of drought and increasingly intense storms--events we are beginning to see now that will have a devastating impact on future generations.

Fortunately, each of us can help reduce the world's growing carbon load. To calculate your C[O.sub.2] contribution, go to stopglobalwarming.org. Once you know your carbon footprint, you can begin reducing it with the simple changes listed here.

Get with the Program

Install a programmable thermostat to heat and cool your home. Setting your thermostat up 2 degrees in the summer and down 2 degrees in the winter can save 350 lb. of C[O.sub.2] annually or 2 percent on your heating bill.

Clear the Air

Clean or replace air filters in your home monthly. A clean filter can save 175 lb. of C[O.sub.2] per year.