When we're all looking for ways to cut back on our carbon footprint, one idea might be to cut out tropical fruits. After all, fruits like mangoes, pineapples and coconuts come from faraway places. But there's no need to quit these fruits quite yet. Yes, they do come from other countries, but buying tropical fruits also means supporting farmers in regions that are adapting to climate change. And since trees absorb carbon emissions, these fruit trees can also help to combat global warming.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

You might wonder if the free weights that are gathering dust in your basement gym are recyclable. Yes, hand weights are recyclable. Most free weights are made entirely from iron, often with steel handles covered in rubber. These minimal materials make them ideal for recycling and can get you around 50 cents per pound at the scrap metal recycling facility. But there is a huge resale market for free weights, so post them for sale and they may find a new home that way.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you use a laptop computer every day, there are some easy steps you can take to make sure it's running as efficiently as possible. First, whenever you're not using external devices like drives and printers, unplug them. When they are plugged into your USB port, they draw a lot of power. Unplug the charger if your battery has sufficient life; leaving it plugged in not only wastes energy, but it also can degrade the life of your battery. And always totally shut down the computer when you're done; leaving it on standby or sleep mode still consumes power.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION