As part of its “Green Living Series,” Concord’s Red River Theatres has covered a range of topics from green building construction to the ways we use electricity. Since last April, eight films have been screened as part of the series, starting with Clothesline – a 30-minute documentary about the benefits of air-drying laundry.

It shouldn’t take a recession to force us to appreciate the vacation paradise that is our home. If hordes of New Yorkers and Massachusetts folks think our fair Granite State is worth spending a week or two of vacation in, why shouldn’t we?

Here's a note from Nik Coates at the Program for Alternative Transportation and Health about Green Commute Week. If you haven't yet taken part in the action this week, here are several ways for you to get involved, and get fit:

Green Commute Week in Concord is in full swing and there’s been building momentum for the big event with Governor and Dr. Lynch on Friday.

Here’s a brief recap for Concord’s events for the rest of the week:

• Thursday, 11-1 p.m., at Eagle Square

The Granite State Clean Cars Program (http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/air/tsb/tps/gsccp/) lets participating dealers put a special label in the window of new vehicles that meet environmentally superior performance ratings.

• Park in the shade in summer to keep your car cool and minimize evaporation of fuel.
• If you have a garage, use it as much as possible to keep your car warm in winter and cool in summer.
• If you have to park outdoors, windshield shades can cut down on summer heat and help keep the frost off in the winter.

• Use regular gasoline unless your owner’s manual says otherwise. Unless your car requires premium, high-octane fuels improve neither fuel economy nor performance and will just waste your money.
• Don’t overfill the tank or try to top it off beyond where the automatic nozzle clicks off. Spilled gas evaporates to aggravate smog formation and can leak into groundwater.

Here are some tips we've come across. Feel free to add your own:

• Keep your tires properly inflated. Tires should be inflated to the pressure recommended for your vehicle; usually you can find this number inside the door frame or in your owner’s manual. For every three pounds below recommended pressure, fuel economy goes down by about 1 percent. Tires can lose a pound of pressure a month, so check pressure regularly, and especially before going on a long trip or carrying heavy loads. Also: Don’t buy “aggressive” tread tires if you don’t need them.

For those times when you've just gotta drive your own car, here are some tips to help keep you fuel-efficient.
From the website greenercars.org:
• Avoid “jack rabbit” starts and aggressive driving. Flooring the gas pedal wastes gas and creates more pollution. According to the site, one second of high-powered driving can produce nearly the same volume of carbon monoxide emissions as a half-hour of normal driving.

If you live or work in Concord, take advantage of PATH. The Program for Alternative Transportation and Health is a service offered by the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission. The goal: to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips in and around the Concord area by promoting alternatives to driving alone.

We all need to get around, and in much of New Hampshire, there aren’t as many public transportation options as you’d find in a big city.
But there are lots of ways to reduce your impact on the environment, however you get around.

For those of you who top off your gas tanks, here’s something to think about: Don’t overfill the tank or try to top it off beyond where the automatic nozzle clicks off. Spilled gas evaporates to aggravate smog formation and can leak into groundwater.

Here’s some scary news: It takes only one pint of oil to produce a one-acre slick on surface water.

To dispose of used motor oil safely, carefully pour the oil into a suitable container. You can buy specially designed one at an automotive store or just use a clean, preferably clear, container with a closeable lid. (Don’t use containers that previously contained household chemicals such as bleach.) Plastic milk jugs with screw caps work well.