Have you been brainstorming ways to “go green” this Earth Day? Maybe you’re looking for ideas to help you stay green throughout the month of April, the Spring season…or all year long! If you want to do your part to clean up and protect the environment, but aren’t exactly sure how to start, you’re in the right place!Earth Day is the perfect time to take a few small steps toward making positive and lasting improvements in your environmentally-friendly lifestyle! April 22, 2011 will be the the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. Why not make this the year you go green?
In addition to turning off the lights as you leave the room and minimizing water use when you are washing dishes or brushing your teeth (oldies, but goodies!), here are a few “new” ideas for you this Earth Day:
Paying your bills online takes a huge burden off of our environment. If each household in the United States switched to paperless billing, 18 million trees would be saved every year.
Cutting back on the use of plastic bags is an easy task to accomplish. Taking reusable bags to the store is simple and even trendy! Reusable bags are now available in various colors and patterns, and many stores now have them available as an alternative to plastic or paper.
Your pets want to reduce their carbon footprint too! Using biodegradable plastic bags for pet waste is another very simple switch you can make that will have a positive impact on the environment.
Minimizing personal vehicle use and using public transportation just a few times a week are both great ways to help our environment. Walking, riding bikes, or taking the bus will help you to save on the cost of fuel and will reduce overall air pollution. If you leave your car at home for two days of the week, you can cut back on greenhouse gas emissions by 1,600 pounds on average, per year.
Involve the whole family in your Earth Day activities and your “going green” resolutions! Educating the next generation about environmental issues is a great way to spend some quality time with your kids. Creating an “Earth Day, Every Day” activity chart is a great way to get kids interested in helping, and it will keep you on track, too. Charting your family’s progress (keeping track of buying “green” products, riding bikes in place of driving, etc.) with a piece of poster-board, markers, and stickers will be motivating and rewarding for everyone. Making these quick, simple changes will be a great first step on your “green” pathway.
Make Earth Day 2011 YOUR time to go green!
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