Happy Earth Day everyone!

10 ways to save the Earth:

1. Pay attention to how you use water. The little things can make a big difference. Every time you turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth, you're doing something good. Got a leaky toilet? You might be wasting 200 gallons of water a day [Source: EPA]. Try drinking tap water instead of bottled water, so you aren't wasting all that packaging as well. Wash your clothes in cold water when you can.

2. Leave your car at home. If you can stay off the road just two days a week, you'll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year [Source: EPA]. Combine your errands -- hit the post office, grocery store and shoe repair place in one trip. It will save you gas and time.

3. Walk or ride your bike to work, school and anywhere you can. You can reduce greenhouse gases while burning some calories and improving your health. If you can't walk or bike, use mass transit or carpool. Every car not on the road makes a difference.

4. Recycle.You can help reduce pollution just by putting that soda can in a different bin. If you're trying to choose between two products, pick the one with the least packaging. If an office building of 7,000 workers recycled all of its office paper waste for a year, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 400 cars off the road [Source: EPA].

5. Compost. Think about how much trash you make in a year. Reducing the amount of solid waste you produce in a year means taking up less space in landfills, so your tax dollars can work somewhere else. Plus, compost makes a great natural fertilizer. Composting is easier than you think. I have a worm bin that my kitchen compost goes into. No smell, no mess, great fertilizer!

6. Change your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than a standard bulb and use at least two-thirds less energy. If you're shopping for new appliances or even home electronics, look for ENERGY STAR products, which have met EPA and U.S. Department of Energy guidelines for energy efficiency. In 2006, the ENERGY STAR program saved energy equivalent to taking 25 million cars off the road and saved Americans $14 billion in utility costs [Source: ENERGY STAR].

7. Make your home more energy efficient (and save money). Clean your air filters so your system doesn't have to work overtime. Get a programmable thermostat so you aren't wasting energy when you aren't home. When you go to bed, reduce the thermostat setting -- you won't miss those extra degrees of heat or air conditioning while you're asleep.

8. Maintain your car. Underinflated tires decrease fuel economy by up to three percent and lead to increased pollution and higher greenhouse gas emissions [Source: EPA]. Underinflation also increases tire wear, so it will save you money in the long run if you're good about checking your tire pressure.

9. Drive smarter. Slow down -- driving 60 miles per hour instead of 70 mph on the highway will save you up 4 miles per gallon. [Source: Consumer Guide Automotive]. Accelerating and braking too hard can actually reduce your fuel economy, so take it easy on the brakes and gas pedal.

10.Turn off lights when you're not in the room and unplug appliances when you're not using them. It only takes a second to be environmentally conscious. When yout TV os off, it isn't really off. Having the TV, VCR, DVD, and computer plugged in but not turned on costs you about $3 a month

What's your ecological footprint?

I'm pretty good about recycling, green energy, buying locally, but it takes 14 acres to support me, and I offset my 15 tons of CO2.

I really like that ecological footprint calculator! To support my lifestyle it takes 16 acres and creates 18 tons of CO2. If everyone lived like me we would need 3.6 Earth's to provide enough resources. :blush: And I thought I was doing well!

I'm obsessive about recycling. At home we have to put the recycling stuff out each week or else we would overflow but we only put out a bag of trash every other week. I even started a recycling bin at work for cans and bottles because our building doesn't do it. I take the stuff home and put it out with our home recycling stuff. It is a pain in the ass, but I feel guity otherwise.

I would love to have a compost area. We mostly just use the garbage disposal but composting is better.

My downfall is fast driving. I'm always doing 80mph on the highway. This is the one area where I probably won't change.

15.8 acres and 3.6 earths for me too. :blush:

20.8 global acres
4.7 earths
22.3 tons of carbon dioxide

We're not gonna talk about it. I'm so ashamed! :blush:

Thank you Janet.
Happy Earth Day everyone

3.2 global hectares
1.8 earths
5.4 tons of carbon dioxide

I am a recycling freak. All of you who have received books from me in re-used envelopes already know this! I, too, have set up recycling at work. The city is now collecting from businesses as well as homes, so I no longer have to haul everything to my house. (that makes me very happy!) We've got 4 farmer's markets we visit, and many of the supermarkets sell produce from the farms outside the city. In summer we have our own garden with lots of veggies and herbs.

:D

for #1, another way to waste less water is to fill a plastic bottle of water with water from the tap and then place it into the tank in the bathroom. It will replace that much water every flush. We've got 2 bottles of 500ml each in the tank, so each flush is less 1L wasted. (I hope that isn't too confusing)

for #4, even the plastic wrapping from paper towels, toilet paper, hard candy/chocolate are recyclable. (well, here, anyway...)

for #6, all my lightbulbs are CFLs but the mercury content worries me.

I'll have to check that out. Thanks Janet. My oldest son went to Joe Wheeler State Park today for F.A.W.N. (Forestry Awareness Week Now) They learned a lot of neat things about trees. :)

lemon- Ikea takes back CFLs and here in Illinois they are starting a program that any store that sells CFL's has to take them back for recycling.

Cheesy- give your little treehugger a hug from me. :hug:

I spent the day out protecting our 90 acre greenspace from impending construction. They wanted to take out about 50 of my trees, and I dragged the facilities manager outside to show him that my trees were nowhere near his construction and that the contractor needed to leave them alone. I also discovered that some drove into my prairie and left huge ruts! :rant: I was suggesting a radical cojone-ectomy for the driver, and said that was exactly why I wanted all those drivers to stay away from my prairie! :shedevil: :shedevil:

If I don't fight for every tree, then who will? And Earth Day well spent, saving trees and opening eyes.

:) Here, too. All the "Home Depot" type stores take them back for recycling.

#11 - Don't buy out-of-season fruits and vegetables from far away! The trucks (and air conditioning) used to haul this food to you is doing far more damage than an SUV or 10......