Here's an Earth Day tip to protect the planet: if every household in the United States replaced one light incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent one, it would prevent enough pollution equal to removing one million cars from the roads.

Kelly Norman of Mama Jean's Natural Market in Springfield joined Ozarks Today to list some ways that people can cut down on plastics and recycle. To see the interview, click on the video icon.

Meantime, here are some tips on going green from The Green Guide:

1. Save time and a lot of paper: switch to tree-free billing and pay those bills online with the click of a button or an automatic debit. Approximately one billion trees worth of paper are trashed each year in the United States, and hard copy bills alone generate almost 700,000 tons of waste and almost two million tons of carbon dioxide. Both you and the planet will be happier without the excess garbage.

2. Take it a step further by preserving forests, which provide habitat for all sorts of Earth’s creatures and remove carbon dioxide from the air. Donate to Plant-I, 2020, which will plant an indigenous tree for each dollar you give or join the Nature Conservancy in their Plant a Billion Trees program and donate to plant trees in Brazilian rainforest.

3. Enjoy a certified wildlife habitat just by stepping out the back door. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) certifies yards, community gardens, school grounds and business sites through the “Garden for Wildlife” program, which looks for animal shelters and resources, the use of least-toxic pesticides, and water conservation. Start creating a backyard where native species take haven. See nwf.org for details.

4. Talk to your office manager about greening the workplace and, for starters, print on both sides of the paper. For a list of better paper products to choose, including Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper from well-managed forests, see our Paper Buying Guide for more office greening tips.

5. Get your choo-choo on. Planning a trip? Check out the train schedule. According to the Nature Conservancy, on a cross-country trip, a train emits only about 4 to 15 percent of the carbon dioxide that a plane does (and an automobile is not much better). May 10 marks the first annual National Train Day, so it’s a good opportunity to give the rails a try. See amtrak.com for details.

6. Save water: According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense program, Americans use an average of 170 gallons of water per day, and at least 36 states are anticipating local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013. Use an egg timer to shave time off of your daily shower, and start collecting the “warm-up” water to use on your garden. For more ways to save water, see "Bathroom Revamp."

7. Get involved in the environment in your own neighborhood. You’ll become more personally invested in the earth’s health and will therefore be a better resident of your community and the planet. This Earth Day, do a little research. Visit a nearby farm to meet the people that make your food. To find farms and farmers markets, check localharvest.org or ams.usda.gov. Learn about the quality of your local air quality and nearby rivers and streams from “Window to My Environment,” the EPA’s Web tool for making a difference close to home, at epa.gov. And find out how to support endangered and threatened species in your area by for visiting your state Fish and Wildlife services via fishandwildlife.org.

Finally, take a hike! Get outdoors: One of the best motivations for protecting the planet is to enjoy it. And what better time than Earth Day?