Earth Day 2009 - April 22

Don't forget that Earth Day is on April 22, 2009 (Wednesday). It's a couple of weeks away from today. I have added the countdown button on this site so you can join me and the whole world count the number of days left for this monumental day.

An excerpt from Wikipedia about Earth Day:

• In September 1969 at a conference in Seattle, Washington, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin announced that in spring 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on the environment. This is in response to the widespread environmental degradation. The 1st Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970 and over 20 million people participated that year, and Earth Day is now observed each year on April 22 by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.

A few things you can do to help protect our planet according to the EarthDay.gov website:

Save energy

• Use ENERGY STAR products
• Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
• Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
• Have leaky air conditioning and refrigeration systems repaired.
• Use a programmable thermostat to save on heating and cooling costs when you're not home.
• Insulate your home, water heater and pipes.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with Compact Flourescent Light bulbs. If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a CFL, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road.

Use less water

• Don't let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.
• Take short showers instead of tub baths.
• Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
• Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
• Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.
• Buy high-efficient plumbing fixtures & appliances.
• Repair all leaks (a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons a day).
• Water the lawn or garden during the coolest part of the day (early morning is best).
• Water plants differently according to what they need. Check with your local extension service or nurseries for advice.
• Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only – not the street or sidewalk.
• Use soaker hoses or trickle irrigation systems for trees and shrubs.
• Keep your yard healthy - dethatch, use mulch, etc.
• Sweep outside instead of using a hose.

Reduce/reuse/recycle
Practice the three R's: first reduce how much you use, then reuse what you can, and then recycle the rest. Then, dispose of what's left in the most environmentally friendly way.

• Reduce:
  • Buy permanent items instead of disposables.
  • Buy and use only what you need.
  • Buy products with less packaging.
  • Buy products that use less toxic chemicals.
• Reuse:
• Repair items as much as possible.
• Use durable coffee mugs.
• Use cloth napkins or towels.
• Clean out juice bottles and use them for water.
• Use empty jars to hold leftover food.
• Reuse boxes.
• Purchase refillable pens and pencils.
• Participate in a paint collection and reuse program.
• Donate extras to people you know or to charity instead of throwing them away.
• Reuse grocery bags as trash bags.
• Recycle:
• Recycle paper (printer paper, newspapers, mail, etc.), plastic, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminum cans. If your community doesn't collect at the curb, take them to a collection center.
• Recycle Electronics
• Compost food scraps, grass and other yard clippings, and dead plants.
• Close the loop - buy recycled products and products that use recycled packaging. That's what makes recycling economically possible.

For more information regarding Earth Day, visit the Earth Day Network or EarthDay.gov.