Earth Day Activities - For a Month
April 22, 2008
Today is Earth Day of course! Are you doing anything special?
We’re going to read some lessons from my oldest son’s Science book on the subject of the environment. I plan on taking my little ones to the local recycling center tomorrow to show them how the stuff we use (and what we do with it after we’re done with it) impacts the planet.
1. Use motion sensor attachments on your outside lights to make sure they are off when not in use.
2. Start a compost bin for kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves, and paper. Here are some instructions on how to start a compost pile.
3. Take showers instead of baths. Put an egg timer next to your shower and limit your time to only 4-5 minutes.
4. Hang out a load of laundry today instead of using your dryer. Did you know that your dryer uses more energy than any other appliance after your refrigerator? If you stopped using the dryer altogether you would make a huge difference on your electric bill.
5. Use vinegar and baking soda to clean your house.
6. Make sure your next appliance purchase is Energy Star approved to conserve energy.
7. Use a natural liquid soap like Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds to wash your car.
8. Wash your car on the lawn in the summer to water the grass.
9. Politely refuse flyers that are being handed out on the street. Do the same for receipts you don’t need to save and money envelopes at the bank.
10. Send online greeting cards and invitations to save paper.
11. When hosting a party with gift giving, request donations to a charity close to your heart, or in the case of a child, to their savings or college fund.
12. Collect rainwater to water indoor plants.
13. Collect and use gray water from your shower and washing machine too.
14. Buy rechargeable batteries and dispose of non-rechargeable batteries appropriately.
15. Save paper and do not print emails. If you need to save an email take a screen shot and save it to your computer as a picture file.
16. Reconsider having the newspaper delivered to your home everyday. Read it online instead.
17. Subscribe to magazines that offer digital subscriptions and read your favorite magazines online. If you have magazines lying around, donate them to your library or a nursing home.
18. Ditch the neurotoxin dryer sheets and use homemade pouches of dried lavender. Or nothing at all. Who says everything has to be smelly to be clean? 
19. Check the air pressure in your car tires frequently to make sure your car is running as efficiently as possible.
20. Fill an empty plastic milk jug (the half gallon size) with water and put them in your toilet’s reservoir to save water. And if it’s yellow, let it mellow. Save water by selectively flushing.
21. Use glass jars, food storage containers, baby bottles, and beverage containers to reduce the amount of plastic in your home.
22. When looking for new clothes try hosting a swap with friends and neighbors to see if you can exchange clothing instead of buying new. If this is too much trouble, look online for local consignment sales. And thrift stores of course!
23. Color your hair with natural colorants such as coffee grounds, lemons, beets, cinnamon, and tea.
24. Make your own toothpaste. Toothpaste containers can’t be recycled. An easy recipe: Mix equal parts sea salt and baking soda, and add a few drops of peppermint essential oil.
25. When making your grocery list use a piece of scrap paper, the back of a junk mail flyer, or the back of a used envelope. I keep a container of scratch paper on a bookshelf that my kids can reach. Whenever I have paper that only has writing on one side, I throw it in the box. My little artists stay happy.
26. Grow your own garden and enjoy healthier, free food.
27. Invest in sturdy canvas or nylon reusable shopping bags.
28. Wear T-shirts with environmental slogans and promote social consciousness.
29. Make your own baby food. This saves money and eliminates packaging waste.
30. Ride a bike or walk to do errands if you can. At the very least, park your car and walk to stores that are close together. This counts as exercise.
Every little bit counts!
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[...] Natural Moms Talk Radio wrote an interesting post today on Earth Day Activities - For a MonthHere’s a quick excerpt Today is Earth Day of course! Are you doing anything special? We’re going to read some lessons from my oldest son’s Science book on the subject of the environment. I plan on taking my little ones to the local recycling center tomorrow to show them how the stuff we use (and what we do with it after we’re done with it) impacts the planet. 1. Use motion sensor attachments on your outside lights to make sure they are off when not in use. 2. Start a compost bin for kitchen scraps, grass clippings [...]
[...] Natural Moms Talk Radio wrote an interesting post today on Earth Day Activities - For a MonthHere’s a quick excerpt Today is Earth Day of course! Are you doing anything special? We’re going to read some lessons from my oldest son’s Science book on the subject of the environment. I plan on taking my little ones to the local recycling center tomorrow to show them how the stuff we use (and what we do with it after we’re done with it) impacts the planet. 1. Use motion sensor attachments on your lights to make sure they are off when not in use. 2. Start a compost bin for kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves [...]