If you’re looking for another reason to quit smoking (beyond your health and wallet), here’s one: It’s a detriment to wildlife. It’s estimated that nearly 25 percent of all roadside trash is cigarette butts. Many of these butts end up in aquatic habitats, where they leach chemicals into the water. When fish get the chemicals into their bloodstream, they get transferred to the wild animals that eat the fish. Research shows that cigarette butts are also among the top risks of poisoning to household pets. For help quitting, visit tobaccofreelife.org.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

There’s nothing wrong with using a drive-thru window to pick up a quick meal from a restaurant or a prescription from your pharmacy. But if you’re waiting for your order for more than 30 seconds, you’re not only wasting fuel, you’re releasing unhealthy emissions into the air. According to the Sierra Club, sitting in your idling car for more than 30 seconds wastes more gas than turning off your car completely. If you use a drive-thru, go up to the window and turn off your car. Even restarting it in less than a minute is better for both fuel economy and air quality than idling.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you’re a tea drinker, you may want to think twice about exotic blends from around the world. If you think about it, tea grown in Asia has to travel a long way to get from the farm to your tea cup. To reduce the carbon footprint of your tea, think about making fresh tea at home using mint and basil. These herbs grow prolifically, and you can make tea from them by simply steeping them in boiling water. You can add other pantry staples like honey, spices and a slice of lemon.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION