Do try this at home

DO use native wildflowers and meadow grasses on balconies and rooftops. You don’t need to do much to them—they grow like, uh, wild without much help. Plus, you don’t need to fertilize them with chemicals.

DON’T rely on conventional lightbulbs. Use natural light and fluorescent bulbs to increase energy efficiency.

DO install ENERGY STAR–rated appliances, including dishwashers, washing machines, ACs and fridges, which use 10 to 50 percent less energy than standard models.

DO use caulk to fill gaps between the wall and the window frame—it takes a lot more energy to heat or cool a room when the outside seeps in through the cracks. 

DON’T sign a lease without asking your landlord to see the average monthly gas bills (a widely ignored city ordinance requires landlords to provide this information). If the prices are high, building insulation or system maintenance is shoddy, and a lot of energy is being wasted.

DO install a solar hot-water heating panel. The best place to put it is on your roof, angled to face south. These panels pay for themselves in cheaper energy costs in six or seven years.