Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.
While April 22 Earth Day was focused on the U.S., an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took the day international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.
Whether you want to celebrate Earth Day for a day, week or year we are here to help. Check out these top 25 best ways to stay green and protect our planet.
1. Change Your Light Bulbs - If every household in the United State replaced one regular lightbulb with one of those new compact fluorescent bulbs, the pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing one million cars from the road.
2. Turn Off Computers - According to 50 Ways to Help, by turning off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode, you can save 40 watt-hours per day. That adds up to 4 cents a day, or $14 per year.
3. Don't Pre-Heat The Oven - Unless you are making bread or pastries of some sort, don't pre-heat the oven. Just turn it on when you put the dish in. Also, when checking on your food, look through the oven window instead of opening the door.
4. 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 a million years to decompose.
5. Hang Dry - Get a clothesline or rack to dry your clothes by the air. Your wardrobe will maintain color and fit, and you'll save money.
6. Go Vegetarian Once a Week - Going vegetarian once a week helps not only the planet but your diet as well. Going meatless will save you water as it requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. Plus you'll help save some trees. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed.
7. Avoid Washing In Hot - If all the households in the U.S. switched from hot-hot cycle to warm-cold, we could save the energy comparable to 100,000 barrels of oil a day. Also only launder when you have a full load.
8. Recycle Newspapers - There are 63 million newspapers printed each day in the U.S. of these, 44 million of them will be thrown away. Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week.
9. Gift Wrap Creatively - You can reuse gift bags, bows and event paper, but you can also make something unique by using old maps, cloth or even newspaper. Check out these other creative ideas from HGTV, Martha and DIY Network.
10. Brush Without Running Water - You've more than likely heard this one before, but maybe you still do it. You'll conserve up to five gallons of water per day if you stop running water while brusing your teeth.
11. Take Shorter Showers - Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water. If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from their daily shower, over the course of the year it would equal twice the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day.
12. Plant a Tree - It's good for the air, the land, can shade your house and save on cooling and they can also improve the value of your property.
13. Buy Local - Whenever you can, buy local. If you consider the amount of pollution created to get your food from point A to point B. You'd ultimately be reducing pollution, supporting your local economy and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas.
14. 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.
15. Buy Reusable Coffee Cup - Invest in a reusable cup, which not only cuts down on waste, but keeps your beverage hot for a much longer time. Most coffee shops will happily fill your own cup, and many even offer you a discount when you bring in your own.
16. Turn Off Lights - This is an easy one but always turn off incandescent bulbs 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.
17. Recycle Old Technology - The average cell phone lasts around 18 months, which means 130 million phones will be retired each year. If they go into landfills, the phones and their batteries introduce toxic substances into our environment. Recycling your old phones and other devices will help keep our planet pure.
18. Recycle Unwanted Hangers - If you have hangers that you no longer want recycle them! However, some wire hangers are made of copper and will not be accpeted for recycling but if that is the case you can just give them to your local dry cleaners who will gladly take them for reuse.
19. Cut Out Junkmail - The average American receives 40 pounds of junk mail each year, which ultimately destroys 100 million trees. So by unsubscribing to some of these places you'll help save our trees and our planet.
20. Use Matches Over Lighters - Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered "disposable," over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. Furthermore, when choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood, as wood comes from trees.
21. Stop With the Plastic Bags - Plastic bags are not biodegradable and end up in our oceans, which in turn end up in the food chain. Instead of plastic use reusable bags which are inexpensive and you can use them more than once.
22. eTickets & Downloads - When possible use eTickets when taking a flight to save on paper. The same goes for computer software. Instead of using compact disc that come in those cardboard packages just find the download online and save on the disc and cardboard consumption.
23. Go Paperless - Like junkmail many people get their bills in paper form and once its paid all that paper goes to the trash. Instead opt for the paperless route and get your bills in email form and pay online. It's simple and saves our planet.
24. Rechargable Batteries - Buy a charger and a few sets of rechargeable batteries. Although it requires an upfront investment, it is one that should pay off in no time.
25. Carpool or Telecommute - If you can arrange an agreement with your employer to work from home that would not only help save the planet from the amount of pollution cars create but also help save you money. If you cannot telecommute you can work out an agreement between co-workers to start a carpool which again will save on cash and gasoline.
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