Earth+Day+Tips

= EARTH DAY TIPS =

> > || Choose a pet that’s right for you and avoid “exotics” (if you are considering getting a pet). The wild animals will be grateful. || > || Turn out the lights and the television for an hour one or more nights. Save energy, savor the stars. || > || Install compact fluorescent bulbs or LEDs in one or more light fixtures. It will surely brighten your day. || > || Sign-up for the iConservePA electronic newsletter. Keep up on the many ways to conserve PA. || > || Install a low-flow showerhead or other water-saving device. Go low flow. || > || Use less-toxic cleaning products. Greener choices abound. || > || Dry your clothes on a line. The wind is free. || > || Buy recycled paper products. From toilet paper to paper towels to clothes, boost your post-consumer content. || || || > || || In your Yard: || Buy sustainable lumber for your home improvement project. This lumber treads lightly. || > || Build a rain garden. Encourage habitat, discourage runoff. || > || Plant a tree native to Pennsylvania and register it. Feel treevitalized! || > || Hook up a rain barrel. Save the water for when your garden needs it most. || > || Buy native plants for your yard. Ask for them at your local nursery. || > || Compost yard trimmings, fallen leaves, and kitchen scraps. Your garden will love the natural fertilizer. || > || Skip the spring lawn fertilization. Our waterways will be healthier without the extra nitrogen. || > || Move up to a better mower – four-cycle, electric, or non-powered. Fewer emissions means cleaner air. || || || > || || Out and About: || Bike to work. National Bike to Work Day is a great day to start. || > || Explore a new trail and practice leave no trace. Let nature inspire you. || > || Take a spin on public transportation. It’s a greener way to go. || > || Join a local land conservancy. Help protect the places that are near and dear. || > || Purchase a car with better fuel economy. Mile by mile, the savings really add up. || > || Buy/collect your firewood locally. Reduce the risk of transporting forest pests. || > || Take a child fishing or for any adventure in nature. Nurture a connection that will last a lifetime. || > || Be a citizen scientist and help study songbirds. Let your wings of discovery take flight. || > || Use a renewable biodiesel blend to power your diesel car, truck, or equipment. Feel the power of the plants. || || || > || || At Work: || Buy ‘good’ coffee for the coffee club. The best beans are organic, shade-grown, and fairly traded. || > || Naturalize the spaces around your office. Plant trees and native plants and cut down on mowing. || > || Turn off the lights and the computers. Be the office energy miser. || > || Buy recycled paper and office products. Make a statement in the workplace. || > || Place a compost can in the office kitchen. From coffee grounds to apple cores, turn waste into riches. || > || Drive less. Improve your efficiency through carpooling and conference calling. || > || Sign-up your business as an iConservePA partner. It’s an easy way to demonstrate commitment to conservation. || > || Team up with co-workers to help with an environmental project for a day. Consider it teambuilding with a cause. || || || > || || At the Table: || Buy local produce or ask for it at your favorite grocery store. Enjoy the flavor and the lighter carbon footprint. || > || Take a reusable bag or two or three on your grocery trip. Make plastics bags history. || > || Buy a container of maple syrup made from Pennsylvania forests. Genuine sweetness without the high-fructose corn syrup. || > || Join a CSA (icommunity supported agriculture). Let the fresh, organic veggies and other farm products come to you. || > || Plant your own vegetable garden. Reap the harvests of your success. || > || Select sustainably-harvested seafood. Your decisions help support well-managed fisheries. || || || > > 1. Reduce, Reuse , Recycle: Be sure to recycle in your home and school, and try to use > reusable products as often as possible. > 2. Use less heat and AC: Reduce the energy you consume to cool and heat your home. > Turn your thermostat down or up by 2 degrees. > 3. Change your light bu lbs : Energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs use less > energy and last longer than regular light bulbs. > 4. Drive less, walk and Get your roll on!: Walking, biking, skateboarding, and > rollerblading are not only better for the environment, they are also better for your health. > 5. Plant a Tree : Plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. Planting trees will help > counteract some of the effects of manufacturing, cars and other damaging activities > to the environment. > 6. Get Smart about the Environment : Educate yourself about the issues that our planet > faces, and learn new ways to make a difference by researching on the Internet. > Try visiting the NRDC and NWF sites. > 7. Spread the word : Share information about the environment with your parents, friends, > school and community. The more people that are in the know, the bigger the impact we > can have on reducing climate change. > 8. Use less water : Each year Americans use 149 trillion gallons of water. To help conserve > this important resource, take shorter showers and turn the water off while brushing your teeth. > 9. Turn electronics off : To save energy, turn your electronics off when you’re not using > them. And remember to recycle your old electronics. > 10. Eat locally: Eating local foods means that the food did not waste carbon emissions > traveling to market. > 11. Encourage your parents to use renewable energy : Solar power is an energy-efficient > alternative to regular energy sources. When purchasing products, opt for those made by > renewable energy whenever possible. > 12. Turn your computer off : The average desktop computer uses 200 watts of > electricity per hour. Turning it off when not in use will save 300 pounds of C02 a year! > 13. Set up a no id ling zone outside of your school: Talk to your principal to have buses > and cars turn off their engines while waiting for participants at the end of the day. > 14. Encourage your school or club to start a recycling program : Write a petition and > have your friends sign it. Work with your group leader to get it in the right people’s hands. > 15. Start a biking club : Encourage your friends to walk or bike as often as possible. > 16. Recycle all of your paper at home and encourage your school to do the same : > Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill > space, 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water! > 17. Set up a recycling bin in your kitchen : Recycle bottles, cans and plastics. > 18. Recycle other wastes properly: Things like electronics, batteries, and ink cartridges > can—and should—all be recycled. Contact your local recycling center to find out how to > safely recycle these items without damaging the environment. > 19. Print on both sides of the paper : Talk to your principal to find out if double-sided > printing is possible at your school. It saves paper and money! > 20. Drink tap water out of a reusable bottle: 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away > every hour in America. > 21. Tell your parents to Check the air pressure in their car tires : Keeping tires properly > inflated can save about 250 lbs of carbon a year. > 22. Tell your parents to change their car air filter : Changing the air filter can save about > 800 lbs of carbon a year. > 23. Fill the dishwasher to capacity : To save water and energy, only run the dishwasher when it > is full. > 24. Use recycled paper : Only use 100% recycled paper and always remember to recycle > your paper when you are finished with it. > 25. Check the water heater in your house : Keep your water heater no higher than 120 > degrees and you will save about 550 lbs of carbon a year. > 26. Change the AC filters : Clean or replace AC filters routinely to ensure that the AC unit is as > energy efficient as possible. > 27. Take shorter showers : Long showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. > 28. Use a low -flow shower head : A low-flow shower head conserves water and lowers > your heating costs to heat the water. > 29. Say no to plastic bags : Use a reusable bag when shopping. > 30. Buy minimally packaged goods : Less packaging will reduce your garbage. > 31. Encourage your parents to buy a hybrid car : They save 16,000 lbs of CO2 a year. > 32. Carpool whenever possible: Set up carpools with your friends and neighbors for school, > practice and social events. > 33. Make less garbage : Conserve, reuse and recycle whenever possible. > 34. Insulate your water heater : Keeping your water heater insulated will make it more > energy efficient and can save up to $40 dollars a year. > 35. Encourage your parents to loo k into energy :efficient appliances when rep lacing > old ones : Old appliances can be inefficient and waste energy and money. > 36. weatherize your home : Caulk and weather-strip your doorways and windows to cut > down on drafts. > 37. Save energy while doing garden chores : Volunteer to push a lawnmower rather than > use an energy-hogging powered lawnmower. You will save 80 lbs of CO2 a year. > 38. Be a plug patroller : Ask your parents for permission to unplug all electronics when > they are not in use. > 39. Dress warmly: Instead of heating your home and using more energy, dress in warm > clothes in the winter months. > 40. Air :dry your clothes : Set up a clothesline in your backyard and air-dry your clothes. > 41. Encourage your family to buy and eat organic foods : Organic food does not use > harmful agricultural chemicals that can damage the environment. > 42. Collect rainwater : Use rainwater for watering plants and washing the family car (with > biodegradable soap, of course). > 43. Use both sides of your notebook paper : Use both sides of all of your loose-leaf paper. > 44. Be energy efficient when washing the dishes : Fill the sink with water instead of > running the water as you clean your dishes. > 45. Get the most out of your dishwasher : Scrape scraps of food off plates so you do not > waste water scrubbing them off or using a longer cycle in your dishwasher. > 46. Write to Congress : Set up a letter-writing campaign in your school to urge Congress to > pass green legislation. > 47. Turn off the water at the sink: Turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth or > washing your face. > 48. Rake your leaves instead of using a leaf blower : Save energy while getting upper body > exercise. > 49. Air :dry your hair : Let your hair air-dry instead of using a blow dryer. > 50. Always turn down the heat DOWN and THE AC OFF when you are not home : In > addition to turning the thermostat down or up 2 degrees when you are > home, remember to turn your AC off when you leave the house.  1. Turn out the lights and the tv for an hour one or more nights 2. Install cfc or led lights 3. Use less toxic cleaning products 4. Dry your clothes on a line 5. Buy recycled paper products 6. Help your parents build a rain barrel 7. Compost yard trimmings, fallen leaves, and kitchen scraps 8. Buy local produce 9. Take a reusable bag or two or three to grocery store a. [] 10. Plant your own vegetable garden 11. Bottled water – use reusable water bottle a. [] b. [|http://www.cs.cornell.edu/~djames/bottledWater/] 12. Don’t be lazy – take stairs rather than elevator. > Find a recycling center near you. > Learn about recycling batteries. ** Improve the Outdoors ** > Learn how to plant a tree. > California Coastal Cleanup. ** Cut Down on Waste ** ** Spread the Word **
 * Earth Day 40 Individual Challenge Actions
 * || Inside your Home: || Schedule a home energy audit. Stretch your heating and cooling dollars. ||
 * **The Big Green Help - 50 Green Team Tips**
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 * More Go Green Tips**
 *  choose locally grown food. Transporting food long distances wastes fuel and creates extra CO2.
 *  Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
 *  Send an e-card instead of a paper card.
 *  Say "No bag, thank you." Whether you're buying toys, snacks, or clothes, tell the checkout person you don't need a bag. By carrying your own reusable fabric bag, you'll help reduce the estimated 100 million plastic bags that each year clog sewers, entangle birds, and get swallowed by whales, sea turtles, and other wildlife.
 *  Scrape leftovers off the dishes instead of rinsing them. (Wash the dishes soon after.)
 * Take short showers instead of baths. Aim for five minutes—but still get clean!
 * Keep those fans buzzing in summer instead of turning on the air conditioner.
 * Replace incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent ones. They last up to ten times longer and can use a quarter of the energy.
 * Plug electronics into a power strip and flip off the switch when the gadgets aren’t in use. (make sure this won’t mess up clocks and recordings.)
 * Commit to turning off your computer before bed each night and before you go out for the day. Also set the computer's sleep mode for when the computer is idle for just a little while. By doing these two simple acts, you will use about 85% less energy each day.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Switch off the light every time you leave a room.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Set the thermostat to no lower than 78°F in the summer and no higher than 68°F in the winter.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Place your desk next to a window and use natural light instead of a lamp.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Close your curtains to keep out daytime summer heat or keep in nighttime winter warmth.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Turn off the TV or video game console and play outside.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Ask Mom or Dad to turn off the car instead of letting it idle while you're waiting.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Ride a bike or walk instead of using the car.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Carpool.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Set out cans and bottles for neighborhood pickup, or exchange them for cash at a recycling center. Most community trash services will pick up your recycled bottles and cans.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Choose rechargeable batteries, then recycle them when they die. You'd have to use hundreds of single-use batteries to equal the energy you'd get out of one rechargable battery. Be sure to recycle all batteries to keep harmful metals from entering the environment.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The next time you have the impulse to buy a new book to read, borrow it from the library or a friend instead of buying a new copy. Sharing books is a great way to reduce waste and reuse materials.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">When you drink bottled water, reuse the bottle before recycling it.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Buy toys that last. Toys are made, directly or indirectly, from natural resources. Choose toys that won't break easily so you aren't always buying more stuff or creating more trash.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Plant a deciduous (leafy) tree that loses its leaves in fall on the south side of your home. Its shade will cool your house in the summer. After the tree’s leaves fall, sunlight will help warm your house in winter. Trees help clean the air we breathe. They produce oxygen and reduce carbon dioxide.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Participate in cleanup days at a beach or park. Use those outdoor trash cans! Never litter. Keep our waterways clean. When you visit a park or beach, be sure you deposit your trash in containers and volunteer at some state and national cleanups.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Don't kill that spider! There are an estimated 40,000 species of spiders, and they all eat insects. They're an important part of the food web and provide natural pest control.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Safeguard storm drains. Don't litter. Trash tossed carelessly outside often washes into storm drains, which empty into rivers and streams that eventually flow to the oceans. Pollution is a growing problem for all the Earth's ocean and its wildlife.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Ban all drips. If you have a dripping faucet in the house, ask your parents to replace the washer inside it. If you stop a faucet from leaking one drop each second, you can save 2,700 gallons of water a year.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Don't pile your plate. "When's dinner?" you want to know. You're //starving// after a long day at school! Even so, restrain yourself and take only what you know you'll really be able to eat. Enough edible food to feed 49 million people ends up in landfills in the United States each year.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Celebrate Earth Day. On April 22, celebrate by starting a new Earth-friendly habit. Spread the word! The more people who treat the Earth well, the safer all its inhabitants will be.

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