It’s easy to protect the planet! These tips help save energy. So get green and give the tips a try. If u r a kid.... Make sure to ask your parents before trying any of these tips!
It’s easy to protect the planet! These tips help save limited resources such as water and energy. So get green and give the tips a try. Make sure to ask your parents before trying any of these tips!• Choose locally grown food. Transporting food long distances wastes fuel and creates extra CO2.
• 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.
- If your family is like many , unloading the week’s groceries includes hauling a case or two of bottled water into your home. On your way to a soccer game or activity, it’s easy to grab a cold one right out of the fridge, right?
- Imagine a water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil. That’s about how much oil was needed to produce the bottle.
- So why don’t more people drink water straight from the kitchen faucet? Some people drink bottled water because they think it is better for them than water out of the tap, but that’s not true. In the United States, local governments make sure water from the faucet is safe. There is also growing concern that chemicals in the bottles themselves may leach into the water.
- People love the convenience of bottled water. But maybe if they realized the problems it causes, they would try drinking from a glass at home or carrying water in a refillable steel container instead of plastic.
- Plastic bottle recycling can help—instead of going out with the trash, plastic bottles can be turned into items like carpeting or cozy fleece clothing.
- Unfortunately, for every six water bottles we use, only one makes it to the recycling bin. The rest are sent to landfills. Or, even worse, they end up as trash on the land and in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Plastic bottles take many hundreds of years to disintegrate.
- Water is good for you, so keep drinking it. But think about how often you use water bottles, and see if you can make a change.
- Betty McLaughlin, who runs an organization called the Container Recycling Institute, says try using fewer bottles: “If you take one to school in your lunch, don’t throw it away—bring it home and refill it from the tap for the next day. Keep track of how many times you refill a bottle before you recycle it.”
- And yes, you can make a difference. Remember this: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.
Save Power Play outside instead of using electricity
• 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.
• Switch off the light every time you leave a room.
• Set the thermostat to no lower than 78°F in the summer and no higher than 68°F in the winter.
• Place your desk next to a window and use natural light instead of a lamp.
• Close your curtains to keep out daytime summer heat or keep in nighttime winter warmth.
• Turn off the TV or video game console and play outside.
• Ask Mom or Dad to turn off the car instead of letting it idle while you're waiting.
Strained Glass
Up to 50 percent of the average household's energy consumption goes to heating and cooling the home.
But properly sealed windows can help insulate your home, reducing the energy consumed--and money spent--to maintain indoor temperature.
Here are some ways to up window efficiency:
* Seal all edges and cracks with caulk.
* Install weather stripping in the frame.
* Hang curtains or drapes to limit heat gains in the summer and losses in the winter.
* In harsh climates, install storm windows, which help keep outdoor air from seeping in and indoor air from seeping out.
When It Rains...
During dry months, 40 percent of the average household's water consumption goes to outdoor watering. Rather than needlessly draining that water out of the faucet, gather rainfall in a rain barrel connected to the gutter system and use it to keep the lawn and garden green. Just an inch of rainfall on a 1,000-square-foot roof will accumulate over 600 gallons of fresh water. When picking out a barrel, here are a couple of things to look for:
Choose a model topped with a mesh screen that will keep debris out of the barrel and a lid that prevents mosquitoes from using the water as a breeding ground when it's not raining.
Look for a barrel equipped with a side spigot where a hose can be attached and watering cans can be easily filled. Also, most rain barrels can hold up to sixty gallons of water, so make sure it's parked on a strong and steady surface.
Furry Foes
More than just an eyesore, over 80 strains of mold have been associated with respiratory tract disorders. With the health risks posed by a pesky mold problem, getting rid of furry patches should be top priority. Fortunately, you likely have a potent mold eliminator under the kitchen sink--straight vinegar. Undiluted white vinegar kills 82 percent of mold strains, enough for most problems. Fill a spray bottle, saturate the area, and let it sit. The smell will be a bit harsh, but it typically clears out in a few hours, taking the unsightly respiratory tract-threatening brown patch with it. For more resilient mold colonies, try a mixture of two teaspoons of tea tree oil and two cups of water. The smell can be overwhelming, and will linger for a few days, but tea tree oil works when nothing else will. Nearly as effective as tea tree oil, grapefruit seed extract (20 drops mixed with two cups of water) will do the trick without the smell.
Clear the Air
Diesel exhaust from school buses contains asthma-triggering particulates and 40 microscopic chemicals that the Clean Air Act classifies as hazardous air pollutants.
Keeping the air clean is especially important for children--pound for pound, they breathe in more air and more pollutants than adults. You can reduce the problem by lobbying to bring new technologies to your school, like the propane-powered buses developed by Blue Bird Corporation, which eliminate particulates and can halve fuel costs, among other benefits. Diesel buses may also be retrofitted with technologies like diesel particulate filters; for a complete list of verified technologies, see the EPA's website.
If your school district doesn't yet have the resources to make big changes, you can still cut your emissions by reducing idling outside of schools and motivating others to do the same. Turn off the car or put it on standby when waiting to pick up or drop off children, and encourage kids to walk or ride bikes whenever possible (if you're concerned about safety, talk to other parents in the neighborhood about having the kids bike together). You can also work with your school's PTA or PTSA to request a no-idling zone for buses. Airwatch Northwest's Anti-Idling Program has toolkits to help reduce idling in your school, including letters to parents and faculty members and a "No Idle Zone" sign to display in your parking lot.
TOO COOL
Americans are air conditioning addicts. When the weather gets the better of us, we turn our homes and offices into cool and breezy retreats from the sweltering heat. But the cold air comes at a cost. During summer months, half of all energy consumed in the U.S. goes to powering air conditioners, and each year power plants emit 100 million tons of carbon dioxide to meet our AC addiction. Maybe we're too cool for our own good.
As the weather simmers down this summer, adjust the AC relative to the temperature outside--try a setting10 degrees cooler than the day's high temperature. You'll save 3 percent on energy costs for every degree raised over 72 degrees. Or raise the temperature setting even more and turn on a fan. And be sure to draw the blinds and curtains during the sunniest and warmest times of day.
DIY Pesticides
Synthetic pesticides come with an abundance of environmental and health effects. Rather than hiring your local exterminator, give DIY pest control recipes a try. For ants, spray a mixture of soapy water, or water mixed with citrus oil, on anthills or directly on the ants.
Rid your yard of all stagnant pools of water that provide a haven for mosquitoes to lay their eggs, and keep them off your skin with plant oils, such as geranium, citronella, tea tree and lavender.
If you have a moth problem, treat indoor wood paneling and furniture with cedar oil to help deter them.
This holiday make the season a little brighter for others. Giving back is a great thing to do all year round, but the holidays tend to bring out the charitable side in most people. Try some of these ideas with your family and make a difference this holiday season.
• Donate to a charitable organization
Invite an elderly neighbor or someone who lives alone to join your celebration (ask your parents first!)
Deliver a meal to a family in need
Write a thoughtful note to someone special
Bring your host a small gift to show your appreciation and offer to help clean up
Donate clothes you've outgrown
Donate food to a local charity or food bank
Volunteer at a soup kitchen
Send a care package to a soldier
Visit hospital patients
Foster a dog or cat
Adopt an endangered animal through a zoo
Shovel snow for a neighbor
Help pick up trash at a local park
Join a church or school group that does community service projects
