How will you celebrate Earth Day?

Earth Day is next week (April 22). Plan to celebrate by taking these simple steps to help care for our planet:

This little light of mine…
Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFLs use 70-75% less energy than standard bulbs, and last for several years. You can also help save energy by turning off lights, computers, televisions, etc. when they are not in use. Visit http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls for more information on the advantages of using CFLs.

Green it up!
Add some green to the planet by planting a tree. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that one acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen, which is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people. Learn more about the benefits of trees here: http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm. Or plant a rain garden and help filter out contaminants from roofs and driveways. See how a rain garden can add beauty to your home and help prevent pollution by visiting http://www.groundwater.org/ta/raingardens.html.

Park the car
Leave the car at home! Carpool, take public transportation, walk, or ride your bike to work. Go to http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/commuting/index.html for information ways to go green in your daily commute.

Attend an Earth Day celebration
Check local newspapers, television and radio stations for event announcements, or visit www.earthday.net to search for an event in your area.

Reduce, reuse, recycle
Try to go the entire day without throwing a single thing away (and don’t just postpone it until the next day). Use a reusable shopping bag for your grocery trip, use a tumbler instead of a disposable cup for your morning coffee, start a compost pile, and recycle plastic, aluminum, tin, steel, glass, paper, etc. Get more information about recycling here: http://earth911.com/recycling/.

Get outside and play
Enjoy all that nature has to offer! Take a walk, have a picnic, play a game, go fishing, take a hike – just get outside and interact with nature! Make sure to leave only your footprints behind.

Save a drop
Conserve water around your home. Install water-saving devices such as faucet aerators or low flow showerheads, upgrade to a low-flow toilet and water efficient appliances, and use drought-tolerant plants in your landscaping. Check out these easy water conservation tips: http://www.groundwater.org/kc/easywaystoconserve.html, or find out more about EPA’s WaterSense program at http://www.epa.gov/watersense/.

Clean green
Switch to natural cleaning products. Skip the harsh chemical cleaners and opt for plant-based, natural cleansers. Visit http://www.thegreenguide.com/buying-guide/all-purpose-cleaners for a cleanser buying guide. Or make your own. Check out http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/environment/a/alternateclean.htm for an article about how to make your own cleaning products with simple ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda.

Tell a friend
Tell someone how they can help protect the planet! Share the tips above and get involved in local environmental protection efforts.

Support The Groundwater Foundation
Help support The Groundwater Foundation’s mission of educating the public to care about and for groundwater by:

• Becoming a Groundwater Foundation member (http://www.groundwater.org/au/membership.html)


• Making a donation or supporting a specific program (http://www.groundwater.org/shop/products.asp?cat=23)


• Purchasing one of the Foundation’s educational products (http://www.groundwater.org/shop/default.asp),


• Using GoodSearch (see http://groundwaterfoundation.blogspot.com/search/label/GoodSearch for more information)

How do you plan to celebrate Earth Day? What steps have you taken in your daily life to help protect the planet?