Earth Day 2014

Happy Earth Day! We are always trying to think of ways to help reduce, recycle and reuse and we know many of you are as well so we thought we'd share an article from the Audubon Society that is very insightful.

Audubon Society’s Top Ten Things We Can Do To Reduce Global Warming

1. Conserve water – use less hot water – run your washer and dishwasher only when full
2. When buying new appliances look for the Energy Star Label to be sure you’re getting a high efficiency model. Turn down your refrigerators thermostat and clean the condenser coil regularly.
3. Reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose – choose reusable products instead of disposable. Find a new use for that old outdated item (just like our grandparents did) Check out Pinterest for ideas on repurposing items like wine corks, pallets, baby food jars, etc.
4. Reduce excessive use of home heating and cooling. Turn up the temperature just by 2 degrees in the summer and turn it down by two degrees in the winter. Install an automated thermostat.  Clean your filters regularly.
5. Change your light bulbs from conventional incandescent bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescents. Maximize your use of natural sunlight.  According to Audubon if every US family replaced one regular light bulb, with a CFL, it would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.  WOW!
6. Think before you drive.  Drive a more efficient vehicle, follow the speed limit, take your vehicle in for regular tune ups, and keep your tires properly inflated which can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent.  Combine errands to limit the use of gas!
7. Plant a tree.  Plant leafy trees around your home to provide windbreaks and shade.  Each year the average yard tree cleans 330 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. An average tree absorbs 10 lbs. of pollutants from the air each year, including 4 lbs. of ground level ozone and 3 lbs of particulates.   “THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE WAS 20 YEARS AGO.  THE SECOND BEST TIME IS NOW.” CHINESE PROVERB
8. Buy local.  The fewer miles your fruits and vegetables have to travel the less energy is used for refrigeration and transportation.  Select Organic Produce. The pesticides used to kill pests also kill the organisms that help keep carbon dioxide in soil.
9. Stand Tall.  Stay informed and write letters to your leaders asking them to act.  You can stay informed and take action by signing up to the E-Activist list at www.audubonaction.org.
10. Cut emissions in your yard.  Gasoline mowers are big polluters and greenhouse gas emitters.  In one hour, a conventional lawn mower produces as much pollution as 40 late-model cars driving for the same amount of time.  Reduce the amount of lawn you need to mow by planting native species of ground covers, plants, wildflowers or vegetables – protect the birds, bees and butterflies too! Mulch gardens with pesticide free clippings, take your yard organic and eliminate chemical inputs of pesticides and fertilizers. Nitrous oxide, a byproduct of nitrogen-based fertilizers, is a potent greenhouse gas.