Sharron Warren is not only talking the talk, she's walking the walk down a very green path.

Warren's e-mails end with the quote: "Think green - one step at a time." And that's exactly what she is doing.

In the past year, the part-time nurse from Chesapeake deliberately and systematically has been changing her lifestyle to a more environmentally friendly one.

She began by going online to read everything she could find about ways to reduce her carbon footprint. She then made a list of energy saving efforts she wanted to put into effect and went to work.

From small things, such as changing furnace filters regularly, to big efforts, such as converting her swimming pool to a saltwater system, Warren is trying to be a "good steward of the earth."

"I want to leave things in good condition for my grandchildren and their future families."

Warren has found that certain things, such as recycled paper towels, toilet paper and trash can liners are more expensive. On the other hand, energy-saving efforts, such as hanging her clothes out to dry, rather than using a dryer, are saving her money.

"I hung a line and I haven't dried a thing in two months," Warren said.

She has found that not only does she save energy, she also gets exercise when she hangs her clothes outside. Another bonus: She doesn't have to use chemical bleach any more because sunlight does the job.

"I love it! The first time I hung sheets out and made my bed up and got in bed that night, it smelled so good!"

Not using the dryer, coupled with other energy-saving efforts, such as unplugging appliances when not in use, using fluorescent light bulbs and a programmable thermostat, has reduced her electricity use by more than half this year.

Warren has four settings on her thermostat to keep the house cool at night and in the middle of the day and warmer in the early mornings and evenings. She also shuts the heating and cooling vents in unused rooms and shuts the doors.

Warren admits that and some of these efforts would have been harder when her children were young, especially hanging clothes out to dry and keeping the house cool during the day.

In addition to no longer using bleach, Warren buys green cleaning supplies or makes her own. She has found that baking soda is good for scrubbing tough surfaces and that vinegar and hydrogen peroxide work to disinfect counter tops and toilets.

Recycling is another biggie for Warren. She is fastidious about recycling the usual things such as newspapers, tin cans, glass and plastics, but she goes further. She gives magazines to friends or takes them to the library or nursing homes.

When she goes grocery shopping, she chooses products to avoid as much plastic and other packaging as possible.

"I'm starting to look at what I buy and what it's packaged in," Warren explained.

"There are so many things that one person can do. Choose your battles and go one step at a time."

Mary Reid Barrow, barrow1@cox.net.