Global warming is the root of all evil. It is the reason behind the planet's rising temperature, and why we prefer to stay indoors in an air-conditioned room than to go outside and breathe in the fresh air (what fresh air?).

We're losing polar ice caps, experiencing flash floods, rising sea level and many other catastrophes all because of this phenomenon.

What in the world happened to Earth to cause global warming in the first place? Oh, that's right, we did — we happened to Earth.

Many think that the environment is a goner and that there's nothing one can do to improve the planet's already deteriorating condition. But that's not true! There's always something you can do to help out and it's as easy as following these lets-save-mummy-Earth tips from R.AGE.

Let's control global warming and save the planet along the way. Ooh, Captain Planet would be so proud of us, we kid you not ...

Have a couch potato salad

We know some of you rich college kids prefer to have your own 40-inch plasma TVs in your hostel rooms, but unless you're planning to turn your room into a public theatre, that's a right waste of electricity there.

Why not warm up the couch together with your housemates, and watch something together on a shared TV in the hall? We know that occasionally leads to petty arguments whenever the guys want to watch Manchester United beat Arsenal while the girls just can't miss an episode of In The Chamber Of Bliss on TV, but we think you'd be more miserable when the Earth implodes.

Cook together

In the spirit of The Beatles, why don't you and your friends cook together, right now, over the stove? Eating out means driving; and cooking meals just for yourself means using extra gas and extra power (for microwaving, exhaust fans and whatnot).

Try to do your bit for the environment by at least setting a few days a week where you and your roomies or housies have a home-cooked meal together, y'know, like the guys in Friends used to do at Monica's place?

Daily roadtrips

Notice how so many of our ideas are actually fun (if you have good friends, that is)? Apart from sharing sofas and TVs, you could also share the joy of that morning traffic jam together, squished together in a car.

It's not quite the fun road-trips you see on those teen flicks, but seriously, it's always good to get some human interaction before you get confined to your cubicle for the next nine hours at work or college.

Plus, you'll be saving money on gas, car services, parking fees, toll, CDs for the player and trips to the shrink for treatment of your isolation-derived depression.

Save your cells!

This is for college and school students specifically. You guys know you ain't expecting no call from the Prime Minister when you're in class, so why not save some batteries by turning your cellphones off?

You guys spend so many hours in classes and lectures, you could actually save quite a bit of electricity by turning your mobile devices off and not having to charge them as often.

It might not sound like much, but it does add to your carbon footprint. It's like a dripping faucet, or some electrical appliance left on when you're not using it. Lots of you guys charge your phones almost every night, and we all know that can be avoided.

Change your bulbs

Did you know that by changing your regular tungsten bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs you'll be doing the world a whole lot of good? Just by replacing six regular bulbs with CFLs, you'd be saving 400kg emission of carbon dioxide a year! And besides, everything looks clearer and brighter when you're using CFL bulbs ...

Shop smart

We know you ladies (and men) love to go crazy when you see the word ''sale''. And as much as you want to prance around the street with shopping bags in your hands ala Carrie Bradshaw of Sex And The City, you're totally wasting plastic/paper bags! Now that everyone (and we mean everyone) is giving away environmental-friendly shopping bags, use them instead. They may not have high-end designer names plastered across the bags, but seriously ... do you think the brands going to matter when the Earth melts away?

One for the kids

We know that you're not going to give away your stash of hard-earned money to your children in the future. You're planning to go on an adventure with your spouse (or alone) like Up's Carl Frederiksen. But the least you can leave behind for the kids is a tree to provide shade ... and oxygen. Come on now — don't be selfish and pick up a shovel, find a ground and plant a tree for the future generation.

Remember, water is precious

One day, we're going to run out of safe drinking water and although you may not live to see the day, it doesn't mean that it's worth ignoring. The easiest thing you can do is to use a glass of water when brushing your teeth, or better yet, brush it while still in shower. You can also reduce the number of times you load the washing machine and make sure it's full before you let it run. Or like one of our colleagues, you too can wear your clothes more than once before washing them.

Go up and down

Use the staircase instead of the elevator, as climbing up the stairs reduces the high energy usage to power the lift. Besides, it's a great way to lose weight and tone your calves and butt. Why say no to free exercise? But seriously, if you live/work on the 27th floor then please, don't push yourself too hard. Take your general health into consideration before attempting anything crazy.

Reuse paper

We use more paper than we need. Check your work before sending it to the printer to avoid printing unnecessary printing mistakes and use both sides of the paper when possible. Recycle paper whenever you can and seriously, there wouldn't be any hard feelings if you decide to wrap nasi lemak or clean windows with this very piece of paper. Seriously.

Inflate 'em well

The next time you're thinking about driving somewhere, do the environment a favour and check your car tyres. If your car tyres are inflated properly, it can improve your car's fuel efficiency. And by doing that, you'll be saving more on petrol consumption and every litre of petrol saved keeps 2.5kg of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere! Now that's doing a lot for the environment.

Be a part of the solution

It's not enough to be satisfied doing just the things above. Learn more on how you can play a role in making a change and get active by participating in various activities promoting the change.

There is strength in numbers. When more people do their bit to make going green a habit, the cumulative effect will count for something. And in the word's of Michael Jackson, "start with the man in the mirror" Erm, that's you.