[ quick tips ]
BY JANE EKLUND
25 ways to
Celebrate Earth Day . . . every day!
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of climate change and environmental degradation. But there are actions we can take to do our part for the planet. Sometimes small steps can reverberate into something larger! Here are 25 ways to get started. 1. Bring your own bags when you shop. 2. Buy milk and juice in glass bottles that can be reused or recycled. 3. Use cloth napkins. 4. S witch to bamboo toothbrushes. 5. Replace cling wrap with beeswax wrap. 6. Carry a reusable water bottle and a travel mug for coffee/ tea. 7. Swap out your liquid soap for old-fashioned bar soap. 8. Opt for fruit, vegetables, grains, and beans. Skipping just one day of meat and dairy products cuts your annual carbon footprint by eight pounds! 9. R educe food waste by planning meals in advance, freezing what you don’t use, and eating leftovers. 18
10. Set your washing machine to cold. It’ll keep 500 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the environment each year. 11. L ook for Energy Star certification when buying new appliances. 12. Leaving the room (or the house)? Turn off the lights! 13. T urn your water heater down to 120 and save 550 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. 14. A dd a layer of clothing in the winter instead of turning the heat up. 15. Drive less, walk more. Or bicycle, carpool, or take the bus. 16. C ombine errands to limit driving time. 17. Sign up for paperless billing. 18. Use smart phone apps to take notes, scan documents, keep lists, and the like. 19. Buy toilet tissue made from recycled paper.
20. Wrap gifts in cloth. 21. A void chemical pesticides and herbicides; use natural means to keep bugs away from people and plants. 22. F ertilize with your own compost. 23. C ollect rainwater from your roof in a rain barrel, and use it to water your plants and crops. 24. Replace some or all of your lawn with ornamental grasses, wildflowers, or native plants. 25. P lant a tree, or two or three. Trees purify the air and supply homes for wildlife. SELECTED SOURCES “22 affordable zero waste & plastic free beauty products,” www.TheGreenHubOnline.com • “30+ striking ways to use less paper to save world’s forests,” www.conserve-energy-future.com • “The 35 easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint” by Renee Cho, Columbia University Earth Institute, https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu, 12/27/18 • “Earth-friendly gardening” by Pamela T. Hubbard, Penn State Extension, https://extension.psu.edu
APRIL 2022
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3/3/22 9:18 AM
