EARTH DAY

Submitted by ub on

On this day... Lets walk. or ride our bikes along the way.

A recent US Census Bureau study reveals that 76.4 percent of Americans drove to work alone on daily commutes.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, about one-fifth of all U.S. emissions are caused by our automobiles. The group also estimates that one gallon of gasoline emits about 24 pounds of CO2 and other harmful gasses into the atmosphere. Imagine the amount of emissions would be saved if just a fraction of Americans walked, biked or carpooled to work on Earth Day.

Plant as many trees. Arbor Day is not until April 25, but there is no better way to celebrate Earth Day. Planting a tree, or any other vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and releases oxygen. This means a few more plants on Earth can help us.

Control your electric use. Not only will turning off lights in unoccupied rooms and unplugging unused appliances help our community to conserve energy and valuable natural resources, but it will also keep our electricity bill nice and low.

Go outdoors. One of the best ways to develop an appreciation for our Earth is to spend some time outside. Whether it’s taking a hike in a nearby state or national park, or enjoying a picnic in our backyards. Lets use Earth Day to get in touch with nature.

Educate ourselves. The very least we could do on Earth Day is read up on the environment which is easier than ever these days with the Internet. Grist turns “greenspeak” from dull to gripping, RealClimate fact-checks the media’s coverage of the climate crisis.

http://grist.org/

http://www.realclimate.org/

http://www.earthday.org/