Happy Earth Day - things you can do

[Madison]

Regardless of which side of the climate change debate you are on, it is kind of obvious that energy we use has to come from somewhere, smoke in the air is pretty gross if we burn coal or oil, and throwing things in the garbage just ends up in the ground, and it takes years for those things to decompose, if they decompose at all.


So what are some simple things that you can do on Earth Day?

• Plant a tree, or some native plants in your yard. In the USA at least people treasure their giant UGLY green yards which are totally useless really. Plant some native plants in your yard to attract bugs, butterflies, bees etc. I even had a hummingbird come visit my native plants the other day!
• Get outside, go for a walk, look around. Stop and smell the flowers, observe the world and nature and your place in it. Gain an appreciation for the Earth.
  Pick up any trash you see while you are at it?
• Unplug items that don't need to be on. Cellphone charger not being used? Unplug it. There are lots of electronic items that use energy while nothing is "on".
• Doing "conscious laundry" I didn't think of this before but I read it somewhere. Do your laundry at night while the energy costs are lower instead of during the day. I'll have to try this.
• Carry a waterbottle and refill it instead of buying small plastic bottles. I try this at home, I have to buy water, because mine tastes like dirt, but I buy large containers and then use a cup to drink it.
• Recycle, kind of obvious, but it takes effort. I am lucky enough to live somewhere with curbside recycling. I just have to be diligent about putting those items in the recycle bin instead of the garbage bin.
• If you own/rent your own place: these things can save you money as well as helping save energy use: Programmable thermostats: setting these to be a little hotter or colder while you are out can save energy. (and if you can leave it a little cooler in winter or a little warmer in summer even by a degree or two you can save). Also changing your lightbulbs to compact florescents if they aren't already, or LED, which are expensive but run cooler and seem to last forever.

What ideas do you guys have? What are you going to do to celebrate Earth Day?

 

[Solares]

Amen...

Will be going for a long walk tomorrow with a bin bag ... possibly a 4 hour bike ride... probably a 4 hour bike ride... :-

EDIT:

Shouldn't I be a legend?