One doesn't have to look far to see how Mother Nature is being violated for human gain. Here are some sensible ways we can do our part to preserve our beautiful and bountiful planet......
- Drive less to save fuel and reduce pollution. For short distances, walk, ride a bike, or carpool.
- Service vehicles regularly. A poorly-tuned engine can use as much as 50% more fuel and produce up to 50% more emissions than one that is serviced properly.
- Buy, grow or pick fruit in season. Freeze or can it for winter. Enjoy fruit out of season without having it shipped great distances. Food transportation is a growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Drink water out of a reusable bottle instead of always buying water bottles.
- Reuse plastic/paper bags as waste-basket liners.
- Turn unnecessary lights off.
- Draw drapes at night to help keep the warm air in during the winter months.
- Turn down the heat/air conditioning when leaving the house.
- Follow the "rule of 5" when it comes to regulating heating and air-conditioning. Go green by lowering the thermostat by 5 degrees in the winter or raising it in the summer by 5 degrees. This will save, on average, 7% to 11% on the electric bill, depending on how well a home is insulated.
- Change furnace filters two times each winter.
- Install proper weather stripping around doors and windows to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer.
- Ceiling fans are efficient and consume power at the rate of only pennies per day. Especially during spring and fall months, or summer mornings/evenings, a ceiling fan can be provide sufficient air movement for a comfortable room temperature.
- Wash clothes in cold or warm water, rather than hot.
- Wait until there's a full load of laundry or dishes before starting the machine.
- Use detergent sparingly.
- Hang clothes to dry. If using a dryer, clean the lint screen after each use. Lint build-up reduces efficiency.
- Take shorter showers. If we shower every day, we easily save 1,000 gallons a year by cutting the time we run the water by just one minute. We can probably make up this time simply by making sure everything we need is close at hand before turning the water on.
- Turn off the water while brushing teeth. The average person, who keeps the water running while brushing their teeth, will use 1.875 gallons of water. This means that in a year's time of brushing, a total of 684 gallons of water will run down the drain. If only 1 person in every 100 people keeps the water running while brushing their teeth, 2,079,768,512 gallons of water goes down the drain wastefully.
- Baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice make great SAFE cleaners. Store-bought cleaners are adding harmful toxins to our homes and our bodies.
- Make stoves more efficient. Use the burner that matches closest the pan size. Heat is lost and energy is wasted if the burner size is larger than the pan size. Use lids on pots and pans to cook at lower settings.
- Buy energy-efficient appliances.
- Don't waste paper. Printing is an energy-intensive process, so be sure to edit documents on-screen before pushing the print button. Use discarded pages for jotting notes.
- Turn all equipment off when it is not in use.
- Choose a laptop if buying a new computer. Laptops use less electricity than a typical desktop computer.
- Recycle eye glasses. There are millions of people around the world who need glasses every year, and many of us have old pairs.
- Avoid pesticides on lawns and plants. They threaten health, particularly in pets and children who are more likely to roll around on chemically-treated lawns. If it is a "cide," it is made to kill things.
- Plant native trees, bushes, and flowers. This encourages native wildlife back into the area, and each tree will provide oxygen for 2 people for the rest of their lives!
- Keeping plants in the house helps clean the air.
- Every time we repair something, we help the Earth's resources last a little longer. Buy second-hand, borrow, or rent.
- Take advantage of community toy and book libraries, which are great alternatives to purchasing.
- Donate things no longer in use to charity or friends. Give books to the library and share magazines and newspapers with others.
- Give "green" gifts, such as homemade gifts or acts of service.
- Buy eco-friendly products. Choose toilet paper made from chlorine-free, recycled material, choose latex or water-based paints, thus eliminating toxic thinners or solvents.
- Use olive, peanut or almond oil to polish unvarnished woods.
- Buy locally-made products. Craft fairs are terrific places to shop and help others who are trying to make some extra money.
- Reuse wrapping paper or use comics to wrap presents.
- Choose recreational activities that have minimal negative impact on the environment.
- Teach children to be environmentally aware. Involve them to explore the forest, take them to wilderness slideshows and presentations, nature walks, etc.
- Teach children not to litter.
- Go to http://www.reuseit.com/ for other good ways to help save our beautiful Earth!
- Lowe's is celebrating Earth Day by giving away a million trees. Check a local Lowe's Store tomorrow, April 23rd, to get a seedling tree. Mother Nature will benefit, and so will we.
