It's EARTH DAY!!!

As one of my New Year's resolutions, I made a promise to do more to Go Green and save the Earth. If you've ever watched a news piece or documentary on how robbing the Earth of its resources will leave us in peril before our kids grow up, then you need to check it out. Just Google "Going Green" or "Save The Earth" and you get lots of great information and tips to help save the Earth.


And what better day than today -- EARTH DAY -- than to start putting some of these tips to work!!!! Check 'em out:

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KILL PHANTOM POWER - Even when most household appliances are turned off, their standby modes continue to suck power that wastes electricity and increases your electric bill. The worst offenders are cell phone chargers, where only 5% of the power they draw is used to charge your phone, while the other 95% is wasted when left plugged in.

What to do? Unplug your cell phone charger when you aren't using it, and plug all of your big appliances (especially TV's and home entertainment equipment) into an easy-to-reach power strip that you can turn off when you aren't using them.

TV's and VCR's in standby mode waste an estimated $1 billion dollars in electricity each year, but if one million households halved their phantom power load, we'd eliminate 150,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year. Also, Replace aging appliances with energy-efficient ones.

Turn off computers, televisions, CD players, and other electronic devices when they won't be used for at least half an hour.



REPLACE A LIGHTBULB - If one million homes replaced four of their traditional incandescent bulbs with Energy-Star approved compact fluorescent bulbs (the ones that look like soft-serve ice cream cones), 900,000 tons of greenhouse gasses would be eliminated, and people would save approximately $30 to $50 dollars in electricity over the life of the bulb for each bulb they replace.



THE RUNNING FAUCET - Do you leave the water running while you brush your teeth for 2 minutes? Then nearly ten gallons of water just slid down the drain. Remember, you PAY for that! Now, think about saving water when you shave, wash dishes, do laundry, water the lawn, wash the car, hose off the sidewalks.... avoid sending water and $$$ down the drain.



IDLE TIME - Ever wonder if you should leave the car running while you wait for the kids to be dismissed from school? Leave it on if you'll be there less than a minute, otherwise it's more efficient to turn it off and restart it when you're ready to go.



TURN DOWN THE HEAT - Not just the furnace, but the water heater too -- set it at 130 to 140 degrees. Turn the setting to low or off when you leave for the weekend or for a long vacation, then put a note on your bathroom mirror so you'll remember to turn it up when you return.




KEEPING IT CLEAN - Washers can use more than 50 gallons of water per load, so avoid washing a lot of small loads whenever possible. Also, be sure to choose the lowest level of water needed for each load, use warm water instead of hot, and set the rinse cycle to use cold water.




COLD FOOD - Refrigerator temperatures should be set at about 40 degrees, give or take a degree or two. Freezer temps between 0 and 5 degrees are just right. Colder settings waste energy and won't help food.




SNIP SIX-PACK RINGS - Those innocent looking soft plasting holders for soft drink cans and other products can entangle birds, fish, and small animals. Snip apart each ring before throwing it in the trash, or inquire whether they can be recycled locally.




GET A CHARGE OUT OF IT - Never throw spent batteries in the trash. They contain mercury, a hazardous substance that will leak into groundwater or be burned and released into the air. Don't go there. Either switch to rechargeable batteries or collect used batteries in a shoebox out in the garage, clearly marked. Then take them to a recycling facility once or twice a year.




STYROFOAM BAD - Styrofoam Lasts a Really, Really, REALLY long time - Try 500 years. Or more. Think about millions of burger boxes, packing peanuts, and take-out containers, sitting in landfills, not biodegrading. Then buy eggs in cardboard, rather than styrofoam, containers.



OFFICE PAPER - Does your office recycle? Chances are it generates a vast amount of clean paper waste. Ask your building management about recycling programs. If none are in place, then put boxes (marked "Recycled Paper Only") under every desk and next to copiers. Arrange to have a recycler pick them up or take them to a recycling facility periodically.




USE CLOTH - Carry cloth shopping bags. Use rags or towels instead of paper towels for cleaning. And yes -- consider using cloth diapers for your baby at least some of the time. (Not convinced? Read this diaper essay from About's Environmental Guide).




REUSEABLE AND UNBLEACHED - Store food in bowls or Tupperware that can be reused endlessly. Use unbleached coffee filters (not bleached). Use more waxed paper that is biodegradable (instead of foil and plastic wrap).




RECYCLE PAPER - Newspapers, junk mail, office papers, corrugated boxes, and paper bags are just a few of the items that can be recycled. Use local recycling facilities or call local authorities to learn about recycling options.




RECYCLE GLASS, PLASTIC AND CANS - Get your local recycling requirements for these items and recycle every them every day. Collect cans and bottles when you travel, when you picnic, or eat a drive-ins. Recycle what you can.




PAINT TIPS - Oil based paints are toxic. They cannot be thrown out in the trash, but require special "hazardous waste" handling available at most recycling facilities. Call for instructions and collection dates. Use latex paint instead. To dispose of excess latex paint, leave the can uncovered to allow evaporation, then pull out the hardened paint and recycle the can. Never pour paint on the ground or wash brushes outside, as the runoff can contaminate groundwater.




BAG LADY - Recycle both paper and plastic shopping bags. Decline bags for smaller purchases such as stamps, greeting cards, etc. Or, better still, carry a lightweight cloth or string bag.




ARBOR DAY - Here's the best idea of all: Plant a tree, or two, or even three. They're beautiful, they provide shade, consume CO2 (that's good), and they produce oxygen. Breathe it in. Then go plant a tree.



u>TUNE UP YOUR HOME - Caulk around windows and doors; clean your heating and air conditioning system to improve operating efficiency; insulate attics and crawl spaces.


LOBBY YOUR HOTEL - In a given year, a single hotel room uses more than 80,000 gallons of water and generates 5 tons of garbage. Given that there are approximately 3.3 million hotel rooms in the U.S., hotels generate a lot of waste, and that's not even counting the near-continual use of air conditioning in every room. How do we do our part? Many hotels now offer guests the option to use one set of linens and towels during their stay. If one million people used just one set of linens for a week, it would save 1.5 million gallons of water

These are some GREAT tips ... and there were a LOT of them!!!

I find myself checking every container, bottle and bag to see that recycling sign (above). Anything with that sign can be put in those brand new blue recycling bins the city has provided.

I live in an apartment complex, so we don't have recycling bins (YET) but I take my stuff over to my parents' house (they don't use it, so I do). Glass and plastic containers, newspaper, aluminum (soda cans, foil and soup cans) and cardboard (toilet paper and paper towel rolls but not pizza boxes) are among the things you can send to the landfill for recycling.

Some grocery stores (like Brookshire's, Super 1 or Wal-Mart) now have bins for you to bring those plastic bags for recycling. You can also buy RESUABLE shopping bags at mostly ANY store (including retail stores) for only $1 each. If you buy in bulk, get a bunch and keep them in your vehicle for future shopping trips :)


I also make sure to turn my thermostat off when I'm not at home and put it on 75 when I am. I can't really get with that lightbulb thing yet but I'm working my way into Green life slowly but surely. JOIN ME!!! :)

• For more tips on Going Green, go HERE ...

*** Save the Earth, not just for you but for your family's future! :)




Speaking of which, to get the KIDS involved in Earth Day, check out some local events dedicated to saving Mother Earth ...



... and NICKELODEON is celebrating this big day with the Big Green Help, asking ALL kids to power down (turn off) everything in their homes from 8-9 pm (CST). Go HERE to get more info.