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I love Earth Day and I look forward to it each year. I think it is a great reminder to take a step back from our busy lives and look at ways that we can all make a difference. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and is always celebrated on April 22nd of each year.
Some Earth Day Trivia for you today: (answers will be below in the comment section)
1) Which household appliance uses the most energy?
A) Refrigerator
B) Toaster
C) Dishwasher
D) Washing machine
2) “Phantom carriers” is a term used for electronic devices that:
A) Move from room to room
B) Continue to consume electricity even when switched off
C) Are really expensive
D) Are energy efficient
3) What percentage do heating costs rise by for every degree above 20°C that you set your household thermostat in the winter?
A) 2%
B) 4%
C) 5%
D) 7%
4) A typical 5-minute shower uses ____ litres of water:
A) 50
B) 100
C) 150
D) 200
5) How much water is used to produce 1kg of paper?
A) 100 litres
B) 200 litres
C) 300 litres
D) 400 litres
Here are the Top 10 actions to reduce your impact on the environment according to Earth Day Canada:
1) Smart Shopping
• “Buy what you need, not what you want”
• Consider renting and borrowing things that are
seldom needed
• Buy used items from garage sales and second-hand stores
2) Simple Savers
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent bulbs
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- Use aerators on faucets and shower heads
- Weatherstrip windows and doors
3) Transportation Alternatives
• Walk, cycle, car pool and use public transportation
• When driving, reduce idling and maintain correct tire pressure
• Consider car sharing programs or renting
4) Food Choices
• Choose local and organic foods that are in season
• Eat less meat & try out vegan recipes!
5) Washing and Drying
• Wash full loads of clothes in cold water and hang to air dry
6) Heating and cooling
• For summer air conditioning, set your thermostat to 24°C or 25°C
• For winter heating, set your thermostat to 19°C or 20°C
• Install ceiling fans and programmable thermostats
7) Close to Home
• Vacation, travel and work as close to home as possible
8.) Bathroom Basics
• Take short showers instead of baths
• Close water taps while brushing your teeth
9) Careful Cleaning
• Choose natural, non-toxic cleaning products
• Make natural cleaners with ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and water
10) Don’t Discard
• Donate, reuse and recycle items before throwing them into the trash
• Harmful materials like chemicals, batteries, electronics, etc.
should be taken to local hazardous waste depots or recyclers
I would also like to add one…
11) Set up a a kitchen compost
- You can reduce your waste output by 33% by simply discarding your food scraps and yard wastes into a compost.
You don’t need anything fancy, just a small garbage container or an unused pail you have lying around the house! Then line it with compostable bags or paper bags.
Ours gets filled with green tea quite a bit… :oops:
Our city actually has a wonderful wet/dry garbage system in place (Click to enlarge)
Fun fact: Our compost bin fills up MUCH faster than our regular garbage bin does!
Today’s question: How do you reduce your carbon footprint? Does your city have a Wet/Dry program?
(See the comments below for the answers to the quiz.)
Have a great Earth Day!
I used to live in a very progressive, earth friendly area. But moving to a small town with my narrow minded boyfriend has made things difficult. I finally got him to get us a recycling bin, and now we recycle every damn thing we can! Seriously, he looks it up if he doesn’t know if we can recycle it. We also never leave lights on, never leave water running…not only is it cheaper, it’s just smart.
OH and we both ride motorcycles whenever possible. Much better than cars :)
I started having a ‘Navy Shower’. Instead of letting the water run while I shampoo my hair and shave my legs, I turn the water off while I do these things and then turn it back on to rinse. You would be surprised how much water is wasted!
Also, our community has a ‘brush dump’ where we can take trimmings from our yard. They are then chopped and turned into free mulch! We also have curbside recycling and a farmer’s market. For a town of only 4,500 people, it is fairly progressive in being ‘green’.
Your blog is so inspiring! I relatively new to reading it, but everything you write has been so insightful and helpful!
I love Earth Day too, but seeing as I have to share it with my birthday, I’ve always felt like it sort of “stole my thunder,” haha!
My city does not have a wet/dry program unfortunately… Fortunately, I do have a backyard compost! I attempt to do as much as I can to reduce my carbon footprint – I never, ever use or take plastic bags, I eat vegan several days a week, and I travel by foot as often as possible! Just to list a few.
I see other people asking the same question, but is there any way/reason to make a kitchen compost if I live in an apartment & don’t have a wet/dry garbage system? I don’t have a garden or yard but I would love to be able to do something non-wasteful with all of my fruit & veggie refuse!
Also, I can not believe a 5 minute shower uses 100L of H2O…how wasteful! That is definitely incentive to keep it short & turn off between rinses!
What a fun earth day activity! I would have thought the dishwasher used the most energy!
I reduce my footprint by:
-Carpooling to work with my boyfriend
-Leave the air conditioning off most of the time (thank g-d for Texas weather!
-Walking to friend’s places that are nearby instead of driving
We don’t have a wet/dry system, but we have a pretty good recycling system. My parents have been composting since I can remember. I didn’t realize people didn’t compost until I went away to university that many people did not compost. I try to buy local as much as possible as well.
Hi! Our city has a pilot project for curbside compost pick up, which I really hope takes off. Unfortunately they didn’t pick our area, we could have made it worth it, lol! We have 3 outside composters, I am horrible at managing them so they are all full :! We also have a worm composter in our basement, it works great and doesn’t smell at all. I just need to take a day and try to separate the worms from the amazing dirt they made. It was awesome to have it for the winter, we used to take a garbage can full of compost to a friends farm once every month or so. Thanks for all the great tips, I’m always looking for new ways to conserve more energy :)