25 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

[Guest guest]

With Earth Day coming up, I thought this was very appropriate

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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25 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

 

In honor of Earth Day, here are 25 simple ways you can " green " your

life. Incorporate these easy tasks into your daily routine not only on

Earth Day, but every day of the year. Give them a try...we think you'll

find active environmental stewardship a breeze.

 

1. Think locally

Purchase locally grown or produced food when possible to support

independent, local farms and the environment. The quality and flavor of

food grown near your home is often exceptional since it's typically

picked only two or three days before it reaches your plate.

 

 

 

2. Switch to organics

Organic agriculture protects the health of all the earth's inhabitants

by limiting inputs of toxic and persistent chemicals in the air, soil

and water. Organic systems support natural ecosystems by using long-term

farming solutions that help preserve the earth's resources for future

generations. Plus, organic fruits and veggies taste great!

 

 

3. Think green when you clean

Many household cleaning products contain various chemicals and toxins

detrimental to the environment and to your health. Read the labels and

only purchase products that contain non-toxic ingredients or create your

own by simply combining vinegar and baking soda.

 

 

4. Start a compost pile in your yard

As landfill space becomes increasingly scarce and expensive, composting

is an extremely valuable idea for reducing needless garbage. Composting

requires little effort and, in time, will create an earthy, crumbly

substance to help your plants flourish.

 

 

 

5. Support companies with environmentally smart packaging

When shopping for packaged products, seek out companies that use minimal

amounts of materials to package their products.

 

 

 

6. Recycle! Recycle! Recycle!

At home or in the office, keep bins designated for recyclables. If

recyclable products are not picked up outside of your home, there is

sure to be a place nearby for dropping them off.

 

 

 

7. Avoid buying disposables

Purchase durable, long-lasting products that can be reused or refilled

in order to decrease waste. Consider using a refillable razor,

rechargeable batteries, and reusable containers to hold your lunch in

place of disposables that contribute to extraneous waste.

 

 

 

8. Don't throw away old or unwanted clothes

Re-use worn t-shirts as rags for cleaning around the house or give

unwanted clothes to friends, family or charitable organizations.

 

 

 

9. Buy in bulk

Purchasing food in bulk allows you to choose how much or how little of a

certain product you want so that little food gets wasted. Plus, buying

in small amounts keeps your bulk items fresher!

 

 

 

10. Help plant a tree in your yard, neighborhood or local park

Currently, the majority of Americans live in urban areas with very few

trees or open space. Planting a tree improves the view as well as the

quality of the environment by reducing air pollution and lowering air

temperatures.

 

 

 

11. Become less reliant on your car

When possible, ride your bike or walk to work. If your traveling

distance is far, take the bus or carpool. Fewer cars on the road equals

reduced air pollution.

 

 

 

12. Reuse shopping bags

Reusing shopping bags significantly reduces the waste associated with

paper or plastic bag disposal. Make it a habit of bringing your own

canvas bags with you when you head to the store. Whole Foods Market

offers a nickel-per-bag refund at all of its stores to encourage this

earth-friendly habit.

 

 

 

13. Stop junk mail

Unwanted junk mail production wastes energy and trees. Sign up for a

mail preference service (learn more about one service:

http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist) that can decrease the

amount of mail you receive by up to 75 percent.

 

 

 

14. Grow your own

Organic gardening is a natural way of growing fruits and vegetables

without pesticides and chemical fertilizers that are harmful to both

human health and the environment. And think of how convenient it would

be to step out the back door to pick a ripe tomato!

 

 

 

15. Use fluorescent lighting

Twenty percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is for

lighting.

<http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/issues/25ways_earthday.html#1> 1 Using

fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent lights reduces energy and

saves you more money than an ordinary bulb over the course of its

lifetime.

 

 

 

16. Keep your appliances clean

Cleaning your refrigerator coils and heating vents often will allow them

to operate much more efficiently. When appliances aren't forced to work

as hard, you save money on your electric bill.

 

 

 

17. Conserve more water

In the United States, 27 percent of our water is used in bathing.

Instead of taking a bath, take a quick shower using a water-conserving

showerhead. Also, don't forget to repair leaky faucets as they could

leak up to 100 gallons of water per day.

<http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/issues/25ways_earthday.html#2> 2

 

 

 

18. Buy recycled products

Buying recycled items allows consumers to " close the loop, " creating a

market for items recycled curbside or in other recycling programs.

 

 

 

19. Choose your seafood wisely

If you enjoy seafood, it's important to know where the seafood you

purchase is coming from since the majority of the world's marine stocks

are fully fished, overexploited, depleted or recovering at a slow rate.

Ask more questions next time you shop for seafood such as whether or not

the fish comes from a sustainable fishery.

 

 

 

20. Adjust the blinds during extreme weather conditions

Raise the shutters during the winter and lower them during the summer to

reduce the need for heat or air conditioning and to reduce the amount of

energy consumed in your home.

 

 

 

21. Turn out the lights

Before leaving your home or office, make sure all of the lights are

turned off. This simple task will save energy and save you money.

 

 

 

22. Perfect all documents before you print them

To reduce the amount of paper that gets thrown away or recycled, triple

check that spreadsheet before printing. If you have to print out an

unfinished document, try printing on the other side of used paper.

 

 

 

23. Maintain your car

Always keep your car tuned, tires inflated and never fill your gas tank

to the top. This will not only add to the life of your vehicle but will

also reduce air pollution and conserve some of the earth's resources as

well as your own.

 

 

 

24. Get involved

Join a local action group that promotes environmentally friendly

practices. One person really can make a difference (and inspire others

to as well)!

 

 

 

25. Start small and teach others

The most important step to becoming a good environmental steward is to

keep your momentum going. Small, everyday actions can contribute to a

more " green " life for you and your family and can encourage others to

follow your footsteps.

 

 

 

1. The Oracle Education Foundation's ThinkQuest: www.thinkquest.org

<http://www.thinkquest.org/>

 

2. Washington State Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.wa.gov

<http://www.dnr.wa.gov/>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

This is absolutely wonderful Chris. Thank you for all the great info

you share!

 

Michelle