Earth Day - April 22

Earth Day - April 22

Earth Day is this April 22. I am very excited as my family is on vacation during this time. What has been interesting so far is all of the publicity that we have seen. My children are looking forward to the release of the Disney production of Earth which we will get to see while vacationing here at Disney and when we get home, the snow will be gone and we will do our annual clean up of the roadside where we live. Each of us can do a little and we can all have an impact. Instead of Beverly's Hot Tips this week, I am going to share some Earth Day tips from the EarthDay.ca site that my family and I are trying to do.

Earth Day Canada’s Top 10 Actions for Earth Day 2009
1. Smart shopping

• X Buy what you need, not what you want
• X Consider renting and borrowing things that are seldom needed
• Buy used items from garage sales and second-hand stores
  

2. Simple savers

• X Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs
• X Use aerators on faucets and shower heads
• X Weatherstrip windows and doors
  

3. Transportation alternatives

• Walk, cycle, car pool and use public transportation
• X When driving, reduce idling and maintain correct tire pressure
• Consider car sharing programs or renting
  

4. Food choices

• X Choose local and organic foods that are in season and support local food producers
• Eat less meat (sorry folks, I grew up on a dairy farm)

5. Washing and drying

• X Wash full loads of clothes in cold water and hang to air dry

6. Heating and cooling

• X For summer air conditioning, set your thermostat to 24°C or 25°C (no airconditioning)
• X For winter heating, set your thermostat to 19°C or 20°C (usually 21)
• X Install ceiling fans and programmable thermostats

7. Close to home

• Vacation, travel and work as close to home as possible

8. Bathroom basics

• X Take short showers instead of baths
• X Close water taps while brushing your teeth
  

9. Careful cleaning

• X Choose more natural, non-toxic cleaning products
• Make simple, natural cleaners with ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and water
  

10. Don’t discard

• X Donate, reuse and recycle items before throwing them into the trash
• X Harmful materials like chemicals, batteries, electronics, etc. should be taken to local hazardous waste depots or recyclers

Earth Day 2009 isn’t about a single action you can do to support a healthier environment. Instead, Earth Day is seen by many as a day to renew a personal commitment to support a healthier environment. Though my family and I have a long way to go, every little bit helps as we move to live more responsibly with the environment.


To find more stress, health and wellness information visit Wellness Articles @ http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/

If you have some strategies to share - comment on this posting!

To bring Stress Speaker and Wellness Expert, Beverly to present her stress and wellness strategies to your team or to find more wellness days, weeks and months - visit http://www.worksmartlivesmart.com/