Every Day Is Earth Day: Week 15

"It is our collective and individual responsibility to protect and nurture the global family,

to support its weaker members and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live."

-Dalai Lama

4/11/11:
Reuse egg cartons.
Drop off empty egg cartons with a local egg farmer at your farmer's market.
Reusing them in this way is more energy efficient than just tossing them into a recycling bin.

4/12/11:
Plant a garden.
Whether it's flowers, vegetables, herbs, or a landscape that attracts birds, a garden gets you closer to nature.
Nature is our best teacher.

4/13/11:
Find used items online:
Shift to thrift and buy used instead of new when you can.
Check these sites on the web to both buy and sell used items:
http://www.shopgodwill.com/
http://www.craigslist.org/
http://www.half.com/
http://www.thegreenumbrella.org/
http://www.freecycle.org/
http://www.reuseitnetwork.org/
http://www.freesharing.org/

4/14/11:
Keep a small compost container in the kitchen to easily collect food scraps so you don't have to run to the compost bin every time you peel an orange or crack an egg.
Storing it in the freezer will keep smells and flies at bay.

4/15/11:
Take a tip from UPS.
Plan your driving route with right turns.
Left turns take more time and burn more fuel.

4/16-17/11:
Trade in your car for a hybrid.
It does take energy to create a new car, but the energy wasted by driving an inefficient car quickly makes up the difference, according to http://www.treehugger.com/
If you can afford to trade in an older inefficient car for a much more efficient one, the green choice is to do so.
One of the greenest options is a hybrid car that gets at least 40 miles to the gallon.

*~ Have a Beautiful Day! ~*