CELEBRATING EARTH DAY BY THINKING
GREEN ON APRIL 22 AND ALL YEAR LONG
~ Experts recommend
daily activities to make a difference for the environment
~
April 2008
Washington D.C. - Earth Day
is a time to celebrate gains we have made in our environment
and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress.
It's a time to unite around new actions we can take
to improve the health of our planet. But experts remind
us to do more than just celebrate this one day. How
can we each make a difference?
The experts at
Planet Green and TreeHugger.com have come up with a
list of actions we can all take to make every day Earth
Day.
1) Paper vs. Plastic at the grocery store?
It's a daily question that can baffle those trying
to do the right thing for the environment. The answer
isn't so easy. Plastic bags are clearly bad for the
environment since these petroleum-based carriers can
hurt marine life in the ocean and can take up to 1,000
years to decompose in a landfill. But paper bags,
although made from renewable trees, generate 70% more
air pollutants and 50 times more water pollutants
than plastic bags and require more energy to recycle
than plastic. The solution?? Boycott both and bring
in a reusable shopping tote.
2) To idle or not to idle? Most people think
that it takes less energy to let your car idle when
stopped than to turn your car off and then on again.
However, here is the fact: Idling cars get zero miles
per gallon. So if you are stopping for more than 10
seconds, turning off and restarting your engine is
more efficient for late model cars.
3) Recycle. Don't think that recycling matters
that much? Think again! A television can run for three
hours from the energy saved by recycling just one
aluminum can.
4) Want to do more to reduce your carbon footprint
in your home? It's easy - move the thermostat
up two degrees in the summer and down two degrees
in the winter and save 2,000 pounds of CO2 a year.
Caulk and weather-strip doorways and windows and save
1,700 pounds of CO2 a year. Install a low-flow showerhead
and save 350 pounds.
5) Want to do more to save the planet? Think
about your clothes. Whenever possible, wash your clothes
in cold water, which reduces environmental impact,
and use ecologically safe detergents. Skipping the
dryer can reduce the overall climate impact of a garment
by about 50%.
Planet Green
is Discovery Communications' global, cross-company initiative
with a commitment to document, preserve and celebrate
the planet, including the first-ever 24-hour eco-lifestyle
television network scheduled to launch on June 4, 2008
to more than 50 million homes. Planet Green's unique
content, tools and information will enlighten, empower
and most certainly, entertain. Its two companion websites,
TreeHugger.com and Planetgreen.com, provide deeper information
for viewers to decide, on their own terms, what's next
for them.
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