Years ago, a friend told me a story of an acquaintance with strong environmental leanings who hoped to teach his children the importance of nature and environmental protection. One day, while riding in the car with his children, her friend was giving a friendly lecture to his children on the value of recycling. When he had finished, his son asked, “Dad, if recycling’s so good, why don’t we do it?”

Over the past decade, I’ve spoken to hundreds of audiences about environmental protection, many of which were populated by environmental educations and environmental enthusiasts. Numerous people in my audiences have admitted to me in private that they don’t do enough — or don’t do much at all. They talk a good talk, but don’t seem to be able really to walk their talk.

Leo Tolstoy may have said it best, “Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” A cynical friend once remarked, “Environmentalists are people who want to tell others how to live.”

While I know many dedicated environmentalists who really walk their talk, I know a fair number who “think globally, but act vocally.” They complain and provide advice for others, but don’t do much to help make a better world. To them, knowing the answer is not always living the answer.

If you’re one of those individuals whose sentiments and actions are out of alignment, here are fifteen steps you can take to dramatically reduce your impact and help create a truly sustainable future.

1. Install compact fluorescent light bulbs in the most commonly used light fixtures in your house.

2. Hire a professional to perform an energy audit on your home, then weatherize your home and beef up the insulation.

3. Install and use a programmable thermostat. It will cut your heating and cooling bills by 10 percent or more.

4. Plant shade trees to keep your house cooler in the summer.

5. Install water-conserving fixtures such as water-efficient showerheads and water-efficient toilets.

6. Replace worn out appliances such as clothes washers, dishwashers, furnaces and air conditioners with energy and water-efficient models. Buy Energy Star qualified models.

7. If you water your lawn, water early or late in the day and replace water-hungry grasses with low-water grasses, and remove sections of lawn that are hard to water and wasteful of water.

8. Recycle all household waste from newspapers to cardboard to aluminum to glass.

9. Compost all kitchen scraps (except meat and bones) and yard waste. Compost in your backyard and use the compost to enrich the soils in your flower and vegetable gardens.

10. Eat more vegetables and less meat. Buy organic vegetables whenever possible.

11. Carpool, ride a bike, walk, or take the bus whenever possible.

12. Replace gas-guzzling vehicles with fuel-efficient models getting 40 miles per gallon or more.

13. Curb consumption. Learn to live more simply. Buy less. Buy used goods. Practice green gift giving and.