Earth Day is April 22 and this year marks the 36th anniversary of this important event. No previous Earth Day has the importance of this year’s event. With rising fuel prices and the impact of global warming upon us the recognition of our responsibility to the planet we live on has never been more necessary or more apparent. The lack of national leadership on these issues is forcing each and every one of us to take individual action. And the weapon at our disposal is energy conservation. Conservation is the tool and the method that we all have to combat rising fuel prices and help slow the negative impact of global warming. Lets honor the spirit and message of Earth Day by following this simple Earth Day A to Z and lets seize the day with individual action that collectively will save the world. (The following is reprinted from “Taste For Life” magazine dated April 2006)
Ask your boss to institute energy savers at work: Recycle paper, turn off computer workstations, and consider the switch to compact fluorescent lighting.
Buy energy efficient products – whether it’s a hybrid car or high-efficiency appliances.
Compost grass clippings, leaves, and vegetable peelings to help divert organic wastes from landfills and reduce methane release.
Drive less (bicycle, carpool, take the bus or walk).
Eat less meat (producing a quarter pound burger uses at least 100 gallons of water).
Fix leaks in air conditioners, plumbing, and refrigerators; use energy efficient faucets, showerheads, and toilets.
Garden smart: Mulch and plant wildflowers or native grasses that don’t need mowing or cultivating.
Have a home energy audit to see if you can reduce fuel bills.
Insulate your home, pipes, and water heater – and save money.
Join an organic buying club or food co-op.
Keep your home healthy with environmentally friendly cleaning supplies, house- plants to cleanse the air, and organic fibers.
Load washing machines and dishwashers full; don’t run partial loads.
Make the most of every trip, combining grocery shopping with errands and visits to friends.
Nix hot water washes: Clothes get just as clean with the right detergents and last longer with cold washes, plus you’ll cut energy costs.
Only shower: That’ll save water compared to baths. And wet your toothbrush, rather than running water while you brush.
Protect your local watershed and wetlands. Prevention is a lot less costly than trying to clean up pollution later.
Question the need for every purchase – far too much “stuff” ends up in attics, basements, landfills and on eBay.
Recycle (from computers to motor oil), reduce (disposables, packaging, toxins), and reuse (cloth napkins, refillable pens, jars).
Scrape, don’t rinse, dishes for the dishwasher.
Turn off appliances and lights when not in use.
Use a soaker hose or trickle irrigation if you must water shrubs and trees.
Vote for environmentally conscious candidates, and let them know how you feel about energy independence, global warming, and organic production.
Walk everywhere you can, and work with your local education department to make it safe for kids to walk to school (visit www.bikewalk.org to learn more).
Xerox only what you really need to copy, send electronic files whenever possible, and check out books and magazines from your local library.
You can make a difference by taking individual action in your own home, in your work place and in your community to conserve energy and use all energy resources more efficiently.
Zero in on community efforts to protect our planet this Earth Day – and the rest of the year (visit www.earthday.net to find events in your area).
ENERGY TIP
You can make a difference by recycling paper at every opportunity:
- Paper accounts for 40% of all community waste.
- Americans throw away the equivalent of 33 million trees in newsprint each year.
- Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than manufacturing paper from new trees.
- The average person uses 737 pounds of paper per year.
- In one year, 2 billion books, 359 million magazines, and 24 billion newspapers are published in the USA.
- Recycling one ton of paper saves about 17 tree.