Earth Day: Ways You Can Save the Environment at Home
Tuesday, we recognize Earth Day on its 44th Anniversary. It’s a day we set aside to focus on nurturing the environment. Every little bit helps. Here are 7 ways you can help save the environment at home – insides and out — without changing your lifestyle.
Take shorter showers. Even if your shower is a minute less than what you’re used to, you’re still saving water.
Turn off your dishwasher when it gets to the drying stage of the cycle. It doesn’t take any energy to let your dishes air dry.
Turn your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer. According to energy.gov, For every 1° adjust your thermostat, you can save 1% on your heating or cooling bill.
Plant a tree. Trees help the environment on so many levels. Not only do they clean the air, but they also help conserve energy and prevent water pollution.
Ride Your Bike or Walk. You could use some exercise and so could the environment. Increasing trips by walking or riding a bike 12% to 15% could lead to fuel savings of 3.8 billion gallons a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 million tons per year – it would be the same as replacing 19 million conventional cars with hybrids.
Wash your car at a car wash. Professional car washes are more efficient than washing your car yourself. While using a hose in the driveway to wash your car uses between 20 and 100 gallons of water, a professional car wash uses 8-12 gallons of water. Professional car washes also recycle water and they’re required to dispose of the water so their chemicals doesn’t end up in a storm drain leading to rivers and streams.
Don’t use a coffee stirrer at the coffee shop. Coffee stirrers are used for a few seconds and then stay in a landfill for years. Most coffee shops have washable spoons you can use to stir your coffee. Use those instead.
If you care about the environment, you can put your use and waste into perspective by calculating your carbon foot print. Click here to find out how big your mark on the earth is. Happy Earth Day!