Happy Earth Day everyone!

You should take care of your earth and environment everyday, but at least you make sure you really try today.  Here are some things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint:

·  Plant a tree that will shade your house as well as reduce the need for air conditioning.

·  Participate in your community's recycling program and recycle all you can.

·  Combine short car trips, or use a bicycle or walk instead.

·  Improve your home's energy efficiency by adding insulation and caulking, and regularly cleaning heating and air conditioning filters.

·  Compost yard trimmings and food waste in a backyard compost bin. Don't bag grass clippings - either leave them on the lawn or compost them.

·  When buying paint, cleaners or other chemicals, buy only what you need and use what you buy.

·  Practice water conservation - install a low flow shower head or make an Earth Day pledge to take shorter showers.

·  Use compact fluorescent lights to conserve up to 75 percent of the energy consumed by incandescent bulbs.

·  Purchase durable goods and choose products made with recycled materials and with minimal or recyclable packaging.

·  Shop local and use totes instead of paper or plastic!
Those are just a few of the things you can do to help out.

Did you know?:

·  The average American contributes 1,859 pounds of air pollution to the atmosphere each year.

·  Running a refrigerator and freezer for one year can produce as much pollution as driving a car from Chicago to Las Vegas.

·  Each mile a person travels in an airplane accounts for 1.08 pounds of greenhouse gases.

·  Every minute, 37,000 empty soft drink bottles are thrown away in the United States.

"Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions. Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet." - Earth911