Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 22 - Skip the Steak

I don't think giving up steak is on my list of helping the environment, but if it's something you've been thinking about doing, then by all means - quit it.  Seriously; all the cows in the world are warming up our planet faster than the millions of cars we drive in.  But it isn't just the cows - it's the sheep, buffalo and any other animal that takes a crap and releases nitrous oxide.

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

22. Skip the Steak

Which is responsible for more global warming: your BMW or your Big Mac? Believe it or not, it's the burger. The international meat industry generates roughly 18% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions—even more than transportation—according to a report last year from the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. Much of that comes from the nitrous oxide in manure and the methane that is, as the New York Times delicately put it, "the natural result of bovine digestion." Methane has a warming effect that is 23 times as great as that of carbon, while nitrous oxide is 296 times as great.

There are 1.5 billion cattle and buffalo on the planet, along with 1.7 billion sheep and goats. Their populations are rising fast, especially in the developing world. Global meat production is expected to double between 2001 and 2050. Given the amount of energy consumed raising, shipping and selling livestock, a 16-oz.T-bone is like a Hummer on a plate.

If you switch to vegetarianism, you can shrink your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to research by the University of Chicago. Trading a standard car for a hybrid cuts only about one ton—and isn't as tasty.

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grand-children's future.  Please feel free to click on my logo to read previous issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 20 - Check the Label

Whenever Ryan and I buy an appliance or something new for our home that requires the use of electricity, we look at those yellow stickers that say "EnergyGuide".  I'm sure you've seen them.  And while the prices may often be a little steep, the end result is a lower bill.  And who doesn't want to save money and help the environment at the same time?

ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. Learn more about ENERGY STAR.  

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

20. Check the Label

You wouldn't buy a car without knowing its gas mileage. Why not do the same when choosing energy-efficient ovens or even supermarkets and hotels? Energy Star, a rating system by the Environmental Protection Agency, will help you find them. Approved products can be pricier, but they cost less to power. Commercial buildings account for nearly 18% of U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions, but those with the Energy Star label consume 35% less energy than the average. By using Energy Star appliances at home, consumers can reduce their utility bill as much as 30%.

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grand-children's future.  Please feel free to click on my logo to read previous issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 19 - Buy Green Power, At Home or Away

pic from a farm near my parent's home

I didn't know we could opt to buy green power; I guess I'll have to look at our bill to see where our energy is coming from.

Every time we go visit my parents down in Corpus Christi, TX, we see wind farms as far as the eye can see, and this is something I never would have pictured growing up.  What's ironic about the whole thing is... that the power generated by these farms are helping cities hundreds of miles away, and not necessarily the local community.

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
 
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

19. Buy Green Power, At Home or Away

More than 600 utilities in 37 states offer green energy, but unless you read the fine print on your bill, you may not know if your power company is one of them. (To find out, visit eere.energy.gov/greenpower.) If you don't live in a green power zone, you can support the industry by buying renewable energy certificates, which allow you to purchase green energy in another part of the country. The extra dollars will dispense green power to the national power grid.

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grand-children's future.  Please feel free to click on my logo to read previous issues.

My New Shirts Came In!

As you know I'm a big supporter of our environment.  But I'm also a big supporter of anything made in the U.S.A.  

In my humble opinion, helping our country succeed should be on everyone's list.  

Check out my new "Made in the U.S.A." shirts! I got one of each color!!!!

Wow, It's so nice to be able to wear small and extra small again! :-)

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 18 - Ask the Experts For An Energy Audit of Your Home

I know this issue is a day early, but it's Earth Day!  Happy Earth Day Everyone!  I bet you didn't know having an energy audit done on your home could save you up to $600 dollars a year.  And it wouldn't even cost you a dime.

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
 
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

18. Ask the Experts For An Energy Audit of Your Home

How green is your abode? A home energy audit, which most utility providers will do free of charge, will tell you the amount of power your household consumes and what you can do to reduce it. The average family can find ways to shave 1,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions each year. Energy auditors use special equipment like blower doors and infrared cameras to help you pinpoint exactly how your house is losing energy. You can also perform a do-it-yourself audit (click here), but this is one time you might actually want to be audited by the experts.  

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grand-children's future.  Please feel free to click on my logo to read previous issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 17 - Open a Window

Who would have thought opening a window could help the environment?  Geez, I haven't slept with an open window since I was a child.  And with today's recent events, it's practically unheard of.  But who says you can't do it during the day?  By following a few suggestions from today's article, you can lose up to 4000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
 
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

17. Open a Window

Most of the 25 tons of CO2 emissions each American is responsible for each year come from the home. Here are some easy ways to get that number down in a hurry without rebuilding. Open a window instead of running the AC. Adjust the thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Caulk and weatherstrip all your doors and windows. Insulate your walls and ceilings. Use the dishwasher only when it's full. Install low-flow showerheads. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water. Turn down the thermostat on the water heater. At the end of the year, don't be surprised if your house feels lighter. It just lost 4,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide.
 

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.  Please feel free to click on my logo to read previous issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 16 - Pay Your Bills Online

I bet you didn't know that by paying your bills online you're helping the environment.  Think about it.  Every time you get a bill in the mail, your statement is printed on 1 to 6 sheets of paper.  Imagine all the trees you could save by accepting your bill electronically.

Ryan and I pay our bills online, but it wasn't until 2 or 3 months ago that we stopped all the paper nonsense.  Another thing to mark off our "Saving our Environment" list!!

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
 
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

16. Pay Your Bills Online

Eliminating your paper trail by banking and paying bills online does more than save trees. It also helps reduce fuel consumption by the trucks and planes that transport paper checks. If every U.S. home viewed and paid its bills online, the switch would cut solid waste by 1.6 billion tons a year and curb greenhouse-gas emissions by 2.1 million tons a year, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. Worried about security? Don't be. Just ignore e-mails "phishing" for personal data, and monitor all (electronic) statements for any unauthorized debits. Report problems immediately, and your credit won't take the hit. To avoid unnecessary carbon dioxide-emitting car trips to the bank on payday, ask your employer to directly deposit your paycheck. You'll get your money faster that way too.
 

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.  Please feel free to click on my logo to read previous issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 15 - Move to a High-Rise

If you currently live in a high-rise, or about to move into one, then by all intent and purposes - you are helping our environment.  How?  Well, considering that you're likely living in a smaller place, means less gas and electricity.  As the article states below, people living in cities such as New York, are living in really tight places. The smaller the area, the smaller the carbon footprint.

Ryan and I enjoy living in the suburbs.  We like our quiet, peaceful life; If we want a little noise we can always take the 15-20 minute trip south into Houston.  Hey, we have a Prius C - we're helping the environment dammit!

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
 
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

15. Move to a High-Rise

If you're a true environmentalist, a dyed-in-the-wool greenie, then why not pack up your leafy rural home and move to New York City—preferably to a tall building right in the middle of Manhattan? 

The Big Apple is home to the greenest citizens in the U.S. Relatively few New Yorkers own cars—one of the biggest contributors to an individual's carbon emissions. Most walk, bike or ride public transit to work—all more efficient transport than the best hybrids.

And New York has developed up, rather than out, which limits wasteful sprawl. Eight million New Yorkers are squeezed into 301 sq. mi.—less than a fortieth of an acre per person. Even a fairly dense suburb devotes about a third of an acre to each person. Density means that commutes, shopping trips and supply chains are shorter. Plus, New Yorkers tend to live in small spaces, although they're a little cranky about it. The denser the area you call home, the smaller your personal carbon footprint—not to mention your gas and electricity bill.
 

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.  Please feel free to click on my logo to read any of the back-issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 14 - Ride the Bus

I can't even recall the last time I rode a bus to work.  But the one time I did, I was living in Corpus Christi, TX.  I remember having to rely on the bus for at least two weeks when the transmission in my Chevrolet Lumina (don't ask), fell out.

There were two good things that came out of that experience, I met some wonderful people on the bus and saved a bunch of money on gas!!!!  But just as I was able to keep some extra money in my pocket, I contributed to our environment in some form or another.

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
 
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184

14. Ride the Bus

With transport accounting for more than 30% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, one of the best ways to reduce them is by riding something many of us haven't tried since the ninth grade: a bus. Public transit saves an estimated 1.4 billion gal. of gas annually, which translates into about 14 million tons of CO2, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
 
Unfortunately, 88% of all trips in the U.S. are by car. Partly, that's because public transportation is more readily available in big urban areas. One promising alternative is bus rapid transit (BRT), which features extra-long carriers running in dedicated lanes. Buses emit more carbon than trains, but that can be minimized by using hybrid or compressed-natural-gas engines. A study last year by the Breakthrough Technologies Institute found that a BRT system in a medium-size U.S. city could cut emissions by as much as 654,000 tons over 20 years. 

Thanks to high gas prices, miles driven per motorist dropped in 2005 for the first time since 1980, according to the Pew Research Center. The U.S. is ready to change. We're just waiting for the bus.
 
The original version of this article misstated the total amount of CO2 emissions saved annually by public transit. It is 14 million, not 1.5 million, tons.

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.

Please feel free to click on my logo to read any of the back-issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 13 - Let Employees Work Close to Home

Ahhhh, this would be a dream come true.  Considering I work in THE LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER IN THE WORLD!  No, I didn't scream that out loud.  Just sayn'.

I do have to say that commuting to work in the morning only takes me 25 minutes, and I drive a Prius C.  So at 54 miles per gallon, I think I'm helping the environment and my pocket.

But suffice it to say, not everyone owns a hybrid vehicle or a Volt so yes, letting employees work close to home would be peachy.

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!
 
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

 

13. Let Employees Work Close to Home

Sitting in gridlock wastes your time and the planet's fuel. The only solution, it seems, is to move your home next to the office. But what if you could move the office a little closer to home? 

That, in essence, is the concept called proximate commuting. It works best for companies with multiple locations in one metro area. Gene Mullins, a software developer in Seattle, created a program that helps firms slash the time employees spend driving by matching them with work closer to home. 

Mullins did studies for Starbucks, Key Bank, Boeing and, most recently, Seattle's fire department. He found that only 4% of the firefighters worked at the station closest to their home; some commuted 145 miles each way. At Boeing, daily commutes of its 80,000 Puget Sound employees total 85 circumnavigations of the earth. Using Mullins' program, some Key Bank branches reduced commutes of some workers 69%. Still, only about 20% of its employees work at the branch closest to their home, Mullins says. Yet escaping rush-hour traffic is its own reward. "For the same pay and the same job, who wouldn't want a shorter commute?"

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.

Please feel free to click on my logo to read any of the back-issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 12 - Capture the Carbon

Carbon emissions have been brought up before, from Turning Food Into Fuel to Paying the Carbon Tax, but what if we could take one of the world's dirtiest fuels and sequestrate it?

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!  
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

 

12. Capture the Carbon

Coal is one of the dirtiest fuels around and a major source of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. It's also hard to live without. In the U.S., half the electricity generated comes from coal. What if coal-fired plants stopped spewing their carbon dioxide fumes into the air and instead sequestered them—pumped them deep into the ground for storage?

Carbon sequestration is (despite its name) a simple-sounding idea that's exciting scientists, governments and energy companies as a way to cut emissions without disrupting energy supplies. One coal-fired plant in Denmark is working to trap carbon flue gases and store them in four spots, including an unused oil field off the coast of Spain. A Swedish utility is testing new ways to extract pure carbon dioxide from coal emissions in a lignite plant in eastern Germany. In the biggest test so far, a Norwegian energy firm is injecting 1 million tons of CO2 a year from the Sleipner gas field into a saline aquifer under the North Sea. "All the basic technology is already here," says Howard Herzog, an energy expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris says sequestration would be second only to energy-saving measures in reducing CO2 emissions, far ahead of better-known efforts like renewable energy.

There are two major obstacles. The first is cost, which the IEA estimates to be as much as $50 for each ton of carbon captured. Those costs may drop if the technology is successful and utilities are given incentives not to spew out carbon dioxide. The other obstacle is a lack of detailed scientific knowledge. The pilot projects are going well, but M.I.T.'s Herzog says, "We'd like to see more large-scale demonstrations worldwide to really bolster confidence." In the meantime, watch for sequestration to move quickly up the energy agenda.

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.

Please feel free to click on my logo to read any of the back-issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 11 - Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes

So you may think I'm a crazy nut for saying this, but I like going to second-hand stores.  Yes, I'll admit it.  I like looking for anything vintage; Whether it be clothing, antiques or little knick-knacks here and there.  But little do you know that by me purchasing these items the second time around I am helping the environment.

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can help save the environment.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!  
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184  

11. Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes

High-end hand-me-downs (the smart set calls them vintage) are more ecologically sound than new clothes. Why? Buying a shirt the second time around means you avoid consuming all the energy used in producing and shipping a new one and, therefore, the carbon emissions associated with it. Every item of clothing you own has an impact on the environment. Some synthetic textiles are made with petroleum products. Cotton accounts for less than 3% of farmed land globally but consumes about a quarter of the pesticides. One quick way to change your duds: invite friends over for a closet swap, to which everyone brings a few items they want to trade. It's easy on the environment—and your pocketbook.

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.

Please feel free to click on my logo to read any of the back-issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 08 - Give New Life to Your Old Fleece

The Global Warming Survival Guide

I think everyone can say they own some type of fleece.  Fleece is just a general term for soft fabric.  You know, that soft blanket you place over yourself while you're watching TV or lying in bed - it's usually very soft and comfy?  Well, that one.  I know that Ryan and I have fleece Jackets, fleece, blankets, fleece lounge pants, etc. etc.  But did you know that by donating this type of material you can actually help the environment? Ironically enough, these can be melted down and turned into new polyester fiber.  So yes, what we do with our old fabric, and who we donate them to, is one of the many "Things We Can Do To Save The Environment". 

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can meet these goals.  Just one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU!  
                                                   ~ Peter aka Blade7184

8. Give New Life to Your Old Fleece

Where do old fleece jackets go to die? Back to the mountain. Outdoor-gear label Patagonia is collecting used clothing (regardless of brand) made from Polartec and Capilene to melt and make into new fabric and clothes. (Some of that fleece is especially virtuous, starting out as fabric made from recycled plastic.) The company estimates that making polyester fiber out of recycled garments, compared with using new polyester, will result in a 76% energy savings and reduce greenhouse gases 71%. To shear your own fleece, visit patagonia.com/recycle. 

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.

Please feel free to click on my logo to read any of the back-issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 07 - Hang Up a Clothes Line

The Global Warming Survival Guide

I can't remember how many times I had to go outside and pull down all the laundry from our clotheslines after my mother hung it out to dry in the morning.  It was one of those chores I hated doing when I was growing up, but I did it. Well, I had to. LOL.  Ironically enough people still do it, and it's a sure-fire way to save on electricity and the environment.  So yes, how we dry our clothes is one of the "Things We Can Do To Save The Environment". 

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can meet these goals.  And yes, even one person can make a difference, and it starts with YOU! - Peter aka Blade7184

7. Hang Up a Clothes Line

You could make your own clothes with needle and thread using 100% organic cotton sheared from sheep you raised on a Whole Foods diet, but the environmental quality of your wardrobe is ultimately determined by the way you wash it. A recent study by Cambridge University's Institute of Manufacturing found that 60% of the energy associated with a piece of clothing is spent in washing and drying it. Over its lifetime, a T shirt can send up to 9 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the air. 

The solution is not to avoid doing laundry, tempting as that may be. Rather, wash your clothes in warm water instead of hot, and save up to launder a few big loads instead of many smaller ones. Use the most efficient machine you can find—newer ones can use as little as one-fourth the energy of older machines. When they're clean, dry your clothes the natural way, by hanging them on a line rather than loading them in a dryer. Altogether you can reduce the CO2 created by your laundry up to 90%. Plus, no more magically disappearing socks.

Make sure to follow Blade 7184 every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future.

 

Feel free to click on my logo above to read the back-issues.

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 02: Green House Effect

The Green House Effect is the second step in my new weekly blog, "Things We Can Do To Save The Environment".   

 

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can meet these goals of saving our environment.  And yes, even one person can make a difference.

 

The Global Warming Survival Guide

2. Get Blueprints For a Green House

Reducing your impact on the earth is not just a question of what you drive but also of what you live in. Residential energy use accounts for 16% of greenhouse-gas emissions. If you begin thinking green at the blueprint stage, however, low-tech, pragmatic techniques will maximize your new home's efficiency. Installing those systems from the ground up is cheaper than retrofitting. 

"Doing simple things could drastically reduce your energy costs, by 40%," says Oru Bose, a sustainable-design architect in Santa Fe, N.M. For example, control heat, air and moisture leakage by sealing windows and doors. Insulate the garage, attic and basement with natural, nontoxic materials like reclaimed blue jeans. Protect windows from sunrays with large overhangs and double-pane glass. 

Emphasize natural cross ventilation. "You don't need to have 24th century solutions to solve 18th century problems," Bose says. Next, consider renewable energy sources like solar electric systems, compact wind turbines and geothermal heat pumps to help power your home. 

When you're ready to get creative, GreenHomeGuide.com will help you find bamboo flooring, cork tiles, and countertops made from recycled wastepaper. 

Make sure to follow this blog every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future

Things We Can Do To Save The Environment - Issue No. 01: Turn Food Into Fuel

Corn is the first topic in my new weekly blog, "Things We Can Do To Save The Environment".

Giving credit to TIME,  I'd like to thank them for showing us the many ways we can meet these goals of saving our environment.  And yes, even one person can make a difference.

The Global Warming Survival Guide

1. Turn Food Into Fuel

Are corn husks better than corn for producing energy? Ethanol is the alternative fuel that could finally wean the U.S. from its expensive oil habit and in turn prevent the millions of tons of carbon emissions that go with it. The Department of Energy has doubled its 2005 commitment to funding research into biofuels—any non-petroleum fuel source, including corn, soybean, switchgrass, municipal waste and (ick) used cooking oil. Already, half of the nearly 11 billion bushels of corn produced each year is turned into ethanol, and most new cars are capable of running on E10 (10% ethanol and 90% gas).

Yet the eco-friendly fuel is beginning to look less chummy of late. Some of the 114 ethanol plants in the U.S. use natural gas and, yes, even coal to run the processors. And ethanol has to be trucked. Existing gas pipelines can't carry it because it corrodes iron. Then there are the economics. Producers depend on federal subsidies, and increasing demand for corn as fuel means the kernels keep getting pricier.

That's why researchers are prospecting for more alternatives, preferably ones that don't rely on food crops or a 51 cents-per-gallon tax break. Municipal waste, wood pulp and leftover grain and corn husks are all quite attractive; they can produce something called cellulosic ethanol, which contains more energy than corn. But they don't give up their bounty easily, so for now they're more expensive than corn-based ethanol to produce. Undeterred, researchers at several cellulosic-ethanol plants are developing innovative enzyme concoctions and heating methods to make the process more economic. Nothing like haste to make something out of waste. 

Make sure to follow this blog every Tuesday for a new issue of Things We Can Do To Save The Environment.  Each issue is thought-provoking, informative and may hold the key to saving your children and grandchildren's future

Happy Earth Day 2011

Over the years, Ryan and I have done our part by planting trees that will last for years to come, bought energy-efficient light bulbs for our entire home, and recycled as part of our community's efforts to preserve our beautiful land, but I learned a few things about Earth Day that I previously didn't know, like...

Earth Day was founded by Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin in 1970, after making a trip to Santa Barbara, California in 1969; He was so outraged by the devastation that he proposed a national teach-in on the environment to be observed by every university and campus in the U.S..  He felt the need for this teach-in was really important for the new generation approaching them.

In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 International Mother Earth Day 

Over 20 million people participated on Earth Day held on April 22, 1970, and is now observed by more than 500 million people worldwide, and several national governments in 175 countries.

Senator Nelson chose the date in order to maximize participation on college campuses for what he conceived as an "environmental teach-in". He determined the week of April 19–25 was the best bet as it did not fall during exams or spring breaks.  Moreover, it did not conflict with religious holidays such as Easter or Passover, and was late enough in spring to have decent weather. More students were likely to be in class, and there would be less competition with other mid-week events—so he chose Wednesday, April 22.

You can read more about this amazing holiday at the Earth Day Network and Wikipedia, which provided the wonderful information above; They do a really good job of covering it's history.  So check it out, it doesn't hurt to read more about the countless efforts millions of people around the world have made to help save Mother Earth.