Green Tips to Save the Earth

Twenty four thousand tonnes of waste is dumped daily and that includes a staggering 15 million plastic bags, enough to fill 25 buses. Some of the waste like sewage, finds its way into the harbour, polluting the waters and killing marine life. But the damage doesn't end there. Rotting waste releases harmful gases into the air which threaten everyone's health. Something has to be done. Everyone has a part to play, including you. The following "green tips" shows how you can save the environment and save money at the same time. Try your best to follow the advice listed below and encourage your friends and family to do the same. If everyone plays their part, we can all join together to save the environment and look forward to a happier, healthier and cleaner future.

To save the Earth and your money, YOU CAN

• CUT YOUR ELECTRICITY BILLS
• SAVE ON WATER BILLS
• GREENER TRANSPORTATION
• REDUCING AND SEPARATING WASTE

Easy Things You Can Do To Save The Earth !

Do you want to help conserve our natural resources, but don’t quite know where to begin? Read on to find some simple changes you can make to help save the Earth. Best of all, you’ll also save money!

Recycle everything you can. Forty percent of all the trash in landfills consists of recyclable newspapers and paper products. Forty percent! Imagine how many trees could be saved every year if those newspapers and cardboard boxes were recycled. Don’t stop with paper—recycle steel cans, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans. Many places will pay for your aluminum cans. This might not make you rich, but it is still money that you were literally throwing away!

Look around your house for ways to save energy. Check your windows and doors to ensure they seal tight to keep your air conditioning inside. If you find a leak, it can usually be easily repaired at home with inexpensive calk. Also, clean your air conditioner and heating unit filters every month they are in use. This will save you up to ten percent on your energy bills, and your allergies will thank you, too!

Replace your old filament light bulbs with new, energy efficient florescent bulbs. These bulbs are available almost everywhere, use one quarter the electricity of traditional bulbs, and can last up to a decade before burning out. Yes, they are a little more expensive than traditional bulbs, but they more than pay for themselves over the life of the bulb.

Tips & Warnings

• Read 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth by the Earthworks Group.
• You can recycle many things, not just newspapers and bottles. Rather than throwing away old lumber, bicycles, furniture and clothes, give them to someone who will put them to use.
• Read the vast array of books by authors dedicated to educating readers on global resources. Rachel Carson's famous Silent Spring is frequently credited with starting the environmental protection movement in the United States. Marc Reisner's Cadillac Desert describes the story of water use (and abuse) in the American West. It's a chilling description of how business and government manipulate the environment to serve economic development.
• Water-related disease is the number one cause of death and responsible for 80 percent of illness worldwide. Investigate online sources such as the Worldwatch Institute or NationalGeographic.com for information on the global water crisis.
• Thorsten Veblen, a 20thcentury American economist, coined the term conspicuous consumption, the intentional buying of unnecessary goods to satisfy vanity and show status.

Some More Tips !!!

1. Consume less. Everything people do, including eating (especially meat), watering lawns, heating homes and driving cars, consumes resources. Everything people buy requires resources to produce and ship. Be conscious of all the small decisions you make in your everyday life that increase the total human impact on the planet. See related eHow articles How to Live With Less, How to Live Off the Land and How to End World Hunger.
2. Choose to have fewer (or no) children. The pressure on Earth's resources by its ever-increasing human population is one of the most dire issues that the planet faces.
3. Learn what types of fish are in danger of being overfished and don't buy them at the store or order them in restaurants. The United Nations site offers background information (see Additional Resources). For specific recommendations on which fish are caught and farmed in ways that support a healthy environment, check out Seafood Watch at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's site (in Resources).
4. Consider driving a smaller or hybrid car. Of course, buying a new car equals more consumption, so approach this issue with some caution. But if you're already looking for a new car, get one that's energy efficient.
5. Support international agreements to limit the output of greenhouse gases. Reduce your own energy use as much as possible. See the eHow titled How to Prepare for Skyrocketing Energy Costs.
6. Downsize your life. See Related eHows How to Get Organized and How to Get Rid of What You Don't Want.
7. Buy organic food. Pesticides take a toll on the environment and frequently spawn pesticide-resistant pests. Buying organic food directly from the growers supports small farms and promotes biodiversity. See the eHow on How to Prepare an Organic Vegetable Garden.
8. Lend your energy to protecting the drinking water supply on both micro and macro levels. Access to and availability of clean drinking water is a growing global crisis. Cut back on personal water use with water-wise gardens (How to Design a Dry Garden) and promote development of sound water policies in your town or region (How to Manage Growth in Your Community). Or join forces with scientists working to perfect the difficult and expensive process of desalinization (waterdesalination.com).

10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green !!!

How can we live lightly on the Earth and save money at the same time? Staff members at the Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental organization, share ideas on how to GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN at home and at work.

Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyone's "going green." We're glad you want to take action, too. Luckily, many of the steps we can take to stop climate change can make our lives better. Our grandchildren-and their children-will thank us for living more sustainably. Let's start now.

We've partnered with the Million Car Carbon Campaign to help you find ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. This campaign is uniting conscious consumers around the world to prevent the emissions-equivalent of 1 million cars from entering the atmosphere each year.

Keep reading for 10 simple things you can do today to help reduce your environmental impact, save money, and live a happier, healthier life.

Save energy to save money:

• Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
• Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
• Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.

Save water to save money:

• Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.
• Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
• Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.

Less gas = more money (and better health!):

• Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.
• Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.
• Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.

Eat smart:

• If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.
• Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy.
• Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.
• Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain [pdf]. This is especially true for seafood.

Skip the bottled water:

• Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.
• Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.
• Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.

Think before you buy:

• Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.
• Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.
• When making purchases, make sure you know what's "Good Stuff" and what isn't.
• Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.

Borrow instead of buying:

• Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.
• Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.

Buy smart:

• Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.
• Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.
• Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).

Keep electronics out of the trash:

• Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
• Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.
• Recycle your cell phone.
• Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event.

Make your own cleaning supplies:

• The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.
• Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.

Bonus Item!!

• Stay informed about going green. Keep visiting this blog for new realistic updates AND SAVE YOUR EARTH