You make the difference! Each and every one of us has a tremendous impact on the Earth's health. A few simple changes to your daily life will change the future of the planet.
Inside Your Home
- Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass, aluminum foil and pans, motor oil, scrap metal and plastics. Call 1-800-I-RECYCLE to find out how and where to leave your trash.
- Install water-saving showerheads. You can save anywhere from 10 to 50 gallons of water for every 10 minutes spent in the shower.
- Save electricity by turning off lights when you leave a room and radios, televisions, and computers when not in use. Replace light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs; the initial cost is higher, but the long-term investment will save you money and protect the environment.
On Your Front Lawn
- After mowing, leave lawn clippings on the lawn. They add nutrients to the soil.
- Control insects using natural controls instead of pesticides.
- If you must water your lawn, water early in the day to prevent evaporation.
In the Car
If every family in the United States uses one less gallon per week, greenouse gases will be reduced by one million tons. With this in mind:
- Buy a fuel efficient car. The average American driver will expend 5600 less pounds of carbon monoxide gases per year by driving a car that gets at least 32 miles to the gallon.
- Check tire pressure, and keep the car tuned and well-maintained.
- Dispose motor oil and anti-freeze through a local service station or recycling center. A one-quart container of oil disposed of at the local landfill can contaminate up to two million gallons of drinking water.
- Drive less. Walk, carpool, or use public transportation. Sharing a ride just once or twic a month can have a tremendous impact.
Out and About
- Dispose of trash properly. Even in cities, most trash eventually finds its way to the open oceans. Baltimore city is on the Chesapeake Bay. A cigarette butt thrown away on Charles Street may eventually be mistaken for food by sea birds that see it floating on the water. Cigarette butts, like most human trash, is not biodegradable.
- Pick up trash when you see it, whether in the city, on the beach, or anywhere else.
