The educational forum to promote "Going Green" was chock full of information and had the tone of a pep rally as participants were challenged to change just two behaviors that will result in energy savings and resource conservation. Spearheaded by Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel and co-sponsored by the Great Neck Park District, the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District, Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition, Manhasset-Lakeville Water and Fire District, North Shore-LIJ Health System, Reach Out America, Sierra Club Foundation, and Whole Foods Market, the meeting room at Great Neck House was packed and abuzz with ideas and enthusiasm.

Most people exiting were galvanized by the presentation and had decided on at least two resolutions that they would put into action. Those of us raised by Depression-influenced parents were familiar with the mantra, "Turn off the lights when you leave a room." It seems that those thrifty parents of ours were right after all. From turning off lights to turning down the thermostat, here are some of the suggestions made at the meeting:

An easy action that does not require total habit retraining is to unplug seldom-used appliances that are referred to as "vampire" energy drainers and to unplug the cell phone charger when its work is done. Older appliances in stand-by mode have been found to be energy eaters; if you are purchasing a new appliance, look for those with EnergyGuide emblems.

Representing the Long Island Sierra Club, Frank Morris urged audience members to switch over to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) for 5 frequently used incandescent bulbs thus saving an estimated $50 per year. In fact, for those who signed a pledge card promising energy saving reductions at home, he gave away a compact fluorescent bulb.

Assemblywoman Schimel, along with Patty Katz and Fran Reid of Reach Out America, recently visited the Brookhaven recycling center and were quite impressed with the tons of waste that is reclaimed and reused. Although recycling has been in place for many years now, audience members had a number of questions and got a quick refresher course in the does and don't of recycling.

When newspapers are discarded, they should be either bundled and tied with twine or placed in paper bags. Do not put them out on the curb in plastic bags because that just makes more work at the recycling center and hence more costly for taxpayers. The better job we do at sorting at home, the more efficient the recycling center can be.

All plastic containers' bottoms have a triangle with a number inside it, which is code for the type of plastic formula used. Only containers with a "1" or "2" inside the triangle are accepted for recycling. Those take-out pizza boxes are not recyclable as they have a Teflon coating.

If you have electronic items such as computers, monitors, fax machines, televisions, and cell phones, which you wish to discard responsibly, the Town of North Hempstead has a convenient drop-off program every Sunday between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at 999 West Shore Road in Port Washington. You must present a driver's license to prove that you are a town resident.

The Town of North Hempstead's STOP program, which accepts household hazardous waste, is held four times a year. The next date for dropping off such items is Sunday, April 21. Questions? The town operates a Recyling Hotline at 767-4600.

In the green movement, B.Y.O.B no longer connotes our boomer partying days. Now, it refers to "bring your own bags" when shopping. This change in behavior requires a bit more vigilance as it requires remembering to actually take saved plastic bags into the store (Whole Foods will credit a customer $.10 per plastic bag you bring in for reuse.) or to get in the habit of shopping with a sturdy canvas bag in tow. According to Assemblywoman Schimel, the most staggering sight while visiting the recycling center was viewing the mountain of plastic bags that are plucked out of the recycled newspapers.

Laura Weinberg, president of the Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition, spoke about the need to dispose of pharmaceuticals with environmental consciousness. Most important, do not flush unwanted medicines. Instead, combine pills and tablets with goopy garbage, such as used kitty litter. In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey, having completed a study of 130 streams, announced that pharmaceuticals were showing up in our waterways. Researchers from various regions are reporting that aquatic animals are showing abnormal sexual characteristics, such as male bass with eggs growing inside their sexual organs. Wastewater treatment centers are not equipped to remove pharmaceuticals from the water currently. Research is underway to develop treatment techniques to deal with the problem, but there is no efficient technology to date.

The good news in the eco movement is that businesses are gearing up to develop more environmentally friendly products and the range of products now available is wider than ever before. Safer cleaning products, beauty aids, and pest controls are a direct response to consumer demands for such products.

Ms. Weinberg said that several years ago on Long Island, there was only one commercial gardener billed as using only organic products; now there are 31 serving Nassau County. A list of organic gardeners is posted on the Neighborhood Network's website at www.longislandnn.org. This website also contains organic gardening tips for the home gardener as well as information about non-toxic living.

Think twice about using bottled water. The problems of plastic bottles are legion. Tons of the bottles end up in storm drains and landfills. There is sound evidence that hazardous chemicals in plastics that are carcinogens leach into the liquid. For people on the go who want the convenience of having water on hand, invest in a stainless steel container; it's easy to clean, will keep water from the tap colder than plastic will and steel is 100 percent recyclable.

The LIPA website (www.lipower.org) contains a wealth of information about ways to conserve power. From purchasing energy efficient bulbs and fixtures at cost (each customer may purchase up to 6 bulbs and 6 fixtures per year) to completing a home energy audit, the website is user friendly and informative.

And so, the message of the evening was: Don't feel guilty or overwhelmed about environmental problems. Start making small changes now. Healthy homes are the basis for healthier communities.