The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Twenty years later, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
– To learn more about this amazing movement please visit at: http://www.earthday.org/about/#sthash.b3DQfetz.dpuf
But first, Here are 12 ways to make Earth Day every day!
1. BRUSH WITHOUT RUNNING: You’ve heard this one before, but maybe you still do it. You’ll conserve up to five gallons of water per day if you stop. Daily savings in the U.S. alone could add up to 1.5 billion gallons.
2. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT: Adjust your thermostat one degree higher in the summer and one degree cooler in the winter. Each degree Celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use! In addition, invest in a programmable thermostat which allows you to regulate temperature based on the times you are at home or away.
3. TURN OFF LIGHTS: Always turn off incandescent bulbs when you leave a room. Fluorescent bulbs are more affected by the number of times if they are switched on and off, so turn them off when you leave a room for 15 minutes or more. You’ll save energy on the bulb itself, but also on cooling costs, as lights contribute heat to a room.
4. MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLE: Not only are you extending the life of your vehicle, but you are creating less pollution and saving gas. A properly maintained vehicle, clean air filters, and inflated tires can greatly improve your vehicle’s performance. And it might not hurt to clean out the trunk – all that extra weight could be costing you at the pump.
5. GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEEK: One less meat-based a week helps the planet and you’re diet. For example: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.
6. GIVE IT AWAY: Before you throw something away, think about if someone else might need it. Ei ther donate to a charitable organization or post it on a web site designed to connect people
7. RECYCLE GLASS: Recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent. If it isn’t recycled, it can take one million years to decompose.
8. PLANT A TREE: It’s good for the air, the land, can shade your house and save on cooling (plant on the west side of your home), and it can also improve the value of your property. Make it meaningful for the whole family and plant a tree every year for each member.
9. GO TO A CAR WASH: Professional car washes are often more efficient with water consumption. If everyone in the U.S. who washes their car themselves took just one visit to the car wash we could save nearly 8.7 billion gallons of water.
10. STOP THE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS: Each year the U.S. uses 84 billion plastic bags, a significant portion of the 500 billion used worldwide. They are not biodegradable, and are making their way into our oceans, and subsequently, the food chain. Stronger, reusable bags are an inexpensive and readily available option.
11. UNPLUG CERTAIN HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES SUCH AS:
· Desktop computers
· Laptop computers
· Televisions
· DVD players and VCRs
· Modems
· Cable TV boxes
· Wireless phones chargers
· Stereos and radios
· Coffeemakers
· Lamps
· Toasters
· iPods and electronic gadgets sapping energy from a plug-in transformer
12. MOST IMPORTANTLY, SHARE!: Take what you’ve learned, and pass the knowledge on to others. If every person you know could take one small step toward being greener, the collective effort could be phenomenal.