The Worldwatch Institute, an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. It has compiled a list of simple steps that will improve the environmental pressures people put on the planet and help fuel the local economy. The United Nations has designated 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. Broadening access to sustainable energy is essential to solving many of the world's challenges, including food production, security and poverty. Here are 12 simple steps the Institute recommends to go green in 2012: 1. Recycle In 2009, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to require all homes and businesses to use recycling and composting collection programs, according to the Institute. As a result, more than 75 percent of all material collected is being recycled, diverting 1.6 million tons from the landfills annually—double the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for each pound of aluminum recovered, Americans save the energy resources necessary to generate roughly 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity—enough to power a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years! 2. Turn off the lights Make an impact every day by turning off lights during…