Earth Day 2008.

Today is Earth Day 2008.

Here are a few practical tips for our everyday lives so as to help in some way, or in any way as we can to save our home called earth.

Read On.

• Take your own cloth bag to the grocery store and spare the waste of using store-provided paper or plastic ones.
• Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when you've got a full load.
• Use alkaline manganese batteries because they are free of toxic heavy metals. Better yet, use rechargeable batteries and save some money.
• Buy seasonal produce items grown or produced within 100 miles and you'll reduce the amount of diesel fuel needed to ship food. You can get fresher food and help small-scale agriculture by shopping at neighborhood farmers' markets.
• Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags and newspapers. Support recycling by purchasing items that are reusable and/or recyclable. When you recycle, you send less trash to the landfill and you help save resources that would be used in manufacturing non-recycled products.
• Turn off the lights when you aren't using them and reduce your direct lighting energy use by 45 percent.
• Switch to compact fluorescent from regular incandescent bulbs and use 60 percent less energy per bulb and save 300 pounds of C0₂ a year.
• Keep your tires inflated to improve gas mileage by three percent. Every gallon you save also saves 20 pounds of C0₂ emissions.
• Plant a tree. Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.
• Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can. You will also cut down on waste production and energy us!

Source: DTE Energy

My own Tips & Tricks around the house:

• Use the trusty timba & kabo instead of showering to conserve water.
• Use the dirty water from dish/clothes washing to flush toilets, water plants & clean garage.
• Unplug any appliance after use. (I am guilty of not doing this!)
• Grow veggies in your garden. (we have this!)
• RRR - Reuse (empty bottles and cans), Reduce and Recycle!

Can't think of anything else. See I am trying to be a good citizen here. hahahaha.