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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!
No, our city does not have a wet/dry program – just this week, they’ve started with a REAL recycling program. Thank Goodness!!!
I have ditched all plastic food storage, including baggies; I have reusable cups and bags to replace anything that usually gets tossed; and I’m trying to eat a more plant-based, sustainable diet, which I think would have huge impact if everyone did the same, even on a small-scale basis.
Visit my blog for an Earth Day Giveaway today: http://balancingme.com/earth-day-2010/
Answers to the quiz:
1) Answer: A – Refrigerators use about 11% of a household’s total energy consumption.
Take Action: Buy Energy Star endorsed refrigerators, which will use less energy and save you money. Also, make sure your refrigerator is set to optimal energy use temperatures (between 2°C and 3°C).
2) Answer: B – “Phantom carriers” are products that draw power 24 hours a day. Appliances that have a clock or programming displays such as coffee makers, DVD players, computers, printers, and stereos are considered phantom load carriers. 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics
is consumed while the products are turned off.
Take Action: Unplug electrical appliances and equipment when you leave the room or use a power bar that connects all of these units and then simply switch the bar off.
3) Answer: C
Take Action: Don’t overheat your home in the winter. Put on a sweater and dress accordingly in order to save money and to use less energy.
4)Answer: B
Take Action: Use a low flow showerhead and you can reduce the amount of water used during a five minute shower to 35 litres. You will save water and money on your water bill.
5) Answer: C
Take Action: Use both sides of a sheet of paper before recycling it. Buy products that are labeled: contains “post-consumer” recycled material. This means it is made from things that you put into your blue box.
I got them all right! Yay me :)
nice!
I don’t think my city has a wet/dry program.
I have made a lot of changes to reduce my carbon footprint but still have room for improvement. I take public transportation every day to and from work, I bring my lunch/breakfast in reusable bags and tupperware whenever I can, I recycle as much as possible, and I gave up red and white meat.
Oooh we try to follow the ‘buy what you need, not what you want.’ It is TOUGH. I am also trying to buy reusable bags. We always buy local and organic if we can.
I am the master of the short shower, unplug my devices when I’m not using them and re-use or recycle everything! We have some local compost areas and I donate to them when I can! Great post:)
Our city doesn’t have a wet-dry trash program which stinks and is surprising considering I live in NYC! I would love to have a compost but having one in an apartment is too hard and not really allowed. I can’t wait to have a house so I can have one!
Those are really great tips! Our city doesn’t have a program like that and we could definitely be better about being more green.
Great tips, and great Earth Day post!!! We don’t have a wet/dry program– I wish we did!
Eating a vegetarian diet has reduced my carbon footprint. We also recycle, walk to work (when we can!), and do our best to take short showers– small, but helpful!
Happy Earth Day to you too, Angela! I’ve been thinking about getting a kitchen compost bin for years, and your post is pushing me towards picking one out!
We recycle paper, plastic, etc..
We also use reusable grocery bags, energy efficient appliances and light bulbs.
I love that Toronto has green recycling for organics – and that you can recycle so much stuff here. During the garbage strike last summer I don’t think we ended up with any extra garbage, but we certainly filled up both green bins, and had double the amount of recycling!
Boston has a pretty good recycling program – and they’ve made it easier in that you don’t have to sort your items anymore – however, in my building there is only ONE “bin” delegated for recycling for 10 units – it gets filled way too fast and then there isn’t room to put anymore stuff. Lame – but I hold on to recycling until I can fit it into the bin – I recycle wayyy more than I throw out.
I use resusable grocery bags allll the time – or my purse (it’s a big one) when I go to the store. Plus, any plastic bags that I do get from stores – I reuse.
I live in Toronto so we have an pretty good recycling and composting system in place that I use ALL THE TIME!
I also only clean my home, laundry and self with environmentally friendly cleaners.
I don’t drive so public transport, walking and running are what get me to the places I need to go!
I buy organic and local products as much as possible (and just started using a local organics delivery service). My boyfriend and I are also going to start planting vegetables in our garden this year!
I bring my own bags every time I go shopping and always plan what to buy so that I don’t waste food.
I’m also a vegetarian.
I think there’s more but there’s no need to hog your comments space!
Happy Earth Day!
we recycle, use cloth bags (or no bags at all) for groceries, walk or ride our bikes to places that are close by, and use Siggs instead of water bottles. i’m sure there’s more, but that’s all i have for right now!
My recycling bin always fills up way before my trashcan! It makes me happy :)
Love this post! I am such a greenie! I am obsessive when it comes to unplugging things and turning off lights. My husband and I live with two other couples so i can get really frustrated when I go downstairs to our common area and lights are left on and things plugged in. I might be a little overboard but oh well. :-)
My favorite thing that we do is we have a neat flush system in our bathroom. First of all we go by the “if its yellow let it mellow if its brown flush it down” policy. And we have a big 15 gallon barrel next to our toilet with a hose and faucet going into the toilet tank. We fill the barrel with water from our showers and then use that to flush.
We also have rain barrels. I don’t know why more people dont collect rain water!! We mostly use the rain water to water our gardens. :-)
and hurray for composting and recycling!!
oh man, we also don’t eat meat, some of us not at all but some of us only eat it if its locally and sustainably raised.
Also, my husband and i don’t have a car… we ride our bikes as much as possible or use our housemates cars.
We sadly don’t have a wet/dry program here in Boston. I’ve been sorely disappointed with the recycling efforts here. Though we are getting more and more creative in our home!
I’m now more aware of
– unplugging electronics
– using reusable bags for EVERYTHING
– I am throwing out our small baggies and using plastic or glass containers exclusively
– creating a compost for our roof top
– buying myself 3 new bags that roll up and can be kept in my purse at all times for future purchases
– short showers (better for the hair too!)
– starting to eat more vegetarian meals multiple times a week
Hey Angela! What do you do with your compost? New York doesn’t have a wet/dry disposal system and I know some people compost for gardening. But I don’t have a garden in my tiny NY apartment. I would like to be more earth friendly, especially since I always have a lot of fruits and veggie refuse. Do you know of any other uses for compost?
Our school is really great in the dining halls by having a compost program, as well as the typical recycling. You won’t see styrofoam ANYWHERE near my school :)
Ditto on loving Earth Day!!!
Our carbon footprint is done by, carpooling to work, eating less red meat, using containers more, recycle…recycle…recycle as much as possible. I don’t know if our city has a wet/dry facility, but I would like to find out. I want to start composting as well.