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Dec 29, 2006

On, Packaging:

	Quaker Oats are packaged in 100% recycled fiberboard tubes. (Grocery Manufacturers of America, 1998)
	If all the roughly 60-Million boxes of Froot Loops sold each year were sold solely in plastic bags, the material savings would equal approx 11,250,000 lbs per yr. (American Plastics Council, 2004)
	Extract, manufactured by McCormick & Co., is packaged in 62% recycled glass bottles. They are shipped to customers in 100% recycled fiberboard cartons. (Grocery Manufacturers of America, 1998)
	Anheuser-Busch brews, packages & distributes the Bud, Mich, and Busch families of beer in cans made from more than 50% post-consumer recycled aluminum. (Grocery Manufacturers of America, 1998)

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Dec 15, 2006

On, Waste-to-Energy Plants - Responsive to the Environment:

	New Clean Air Act rules for municipal waste combustors ensure that waste-to-energy is one of the cleanest sources of power in the world. Energy is produced from trash as cleanly as it is produced from natural gas, reports a recent booklet jointly released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and others.
	The U.S. Department of Energy has labeled waste-to-energy technology as a major part of a plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. By replacing fossil fuels, waste-to-energy reduces the buildup of carbon dioxide in the air. Combusting biomass - materials such as paper, wood and food waste - does not add to the buildup of greenhouse gases.

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Dec 1, 2006

On, Trash:

According to Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) a national organization dedicated to empowering individuals to take greater responsibility for enhancing their community environment, there are seven primary sources of litter:

Pedestrians
Motorists
Uncovered Trucks
Loading docks
Construction sites
Improper residential refuse set-out

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Nov 17, 2006

On, Phone Books:

	If Americans recycled their phone books for a year, we could save an estimated 650,000 tons of paper. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990).
	If all our phone books were kept out of landfills, we could save some 2 million cubic yards of landfill space. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990).

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Nov 10, 2006

On, Junk Mail:

	In 1981 the average household received 59 mail order catalogues, and by 1991 the # had increased 140% to 142. (Use Less Stuff, 1998)
	If each household canceled 10 mail-order catalogues, it would reduce trash by 3.5 lbs per year. If everybody did this, the stack of canceled catalogues would be 2,000 miles high! (Use Less Stuff, 1998)
	In 1988, over 9 billion pieces of third class mail were discarded without ever being read. (Stop Junk Mail & Save a Tree, NYS DEC)
	On the average, 42% of the mail that a household receives is advertising. (Use Less Stuff, 1998)

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Nov 3, 2006

On, Appliances:

	In 2001, nearly 2 million tons of steel was recovered from recycled appliances, at a rate of 85%. (Steel Recycling Institute, 2004)
	The steel from the more than 39 million appliances recycled last year yielded enough steel to build about 160 stadiums the size of the new Pittsburgh Steeler Stadium. More than 2 appliances were recycled for every NFL fan that attended a regular season game last year. (Steel Recycling Institute, 2004)
	There are nearly 12,000 appliance recycling locations throughout the United States. (Steel Recycling Institute, 2004)
	If the entire appliances Americans throw away were recycled instead, we would keep 500-600,000 lbs of toxic PCB's out of landfills every year. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990)

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Oct 13, 2006

On, At The Office:

	The typical office worker can recycle enough office paper each week to fill a paper grocery bag (about 15 lbs). (American Forest & Paper Association, 2004)
	The average attorney uses one ton of paper every year. (Waste Reduction 1998)
	Over 16 million laser printer cartridges are used each year, and about 14 million of them go into landfills. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990)
	Six billion pens are thrown away every year in the U.S. (Recycler's Handbook 1990)
	The average employee consumes 2.5 beverages a day while at work. (Aluminum Association, 2004)

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Oct 6, 2006

On, Steel:

	For every ton of steel recycled, we save enough energy to run a 60-watt bulb for 26 hours. (NYS DEC ARD Calendar, 2004).
	Producing new steel from scrap results in energy savings of about 1/3. (Energy Educators of Ontario, 1993)
	It takes about 4 times as much energy to make steel from virgin ore as it does to make steel from scrap. Annually, enough energy is saved by recycling steel to supply the city of Los Angeles with almost a decade's worth of electricity. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990)

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Sept 29, 2006

On, Aluminum:

	Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can's volume of gasoline. (Aluminum Association, 2004)
	For every ton of aluminum recycled, we reduce energy use by 90 percent. (NYS DEC ARD Calendar, 2004)
	Last year 54 billion cans were recycled saving energy equivalent to 15 million barrels of crude oil - America's gas consumption for one day. (Aluminum Association, 2004)

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Sept 1, 2006

On, Paper:

	Notebook paper gets made into copy paper, newspapers, game and puzzle boards when recycled. (American Forest & Paper Association, 2002).
	In 1988, Americans used enough kraft paper for a person to take a brown bag lunch to school or work for 64 million years. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990).
	Did you know: Aseptic packages - or juice boxes - are made with three materials. Paper comprises 70 percent of the package, polyethylene plastic 24 percent and aluminum 6 percent. (APC, 2004)
	Aseptic packages by themselves represent a tiny fraction - less than three one-hundredths of one percent (0.03%) - of all solid waste. (APC, 2004).

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Aug 25, 2006

On, Clothing:

	In 1988, America exported 135,000 tons of used clothing to Third World countries. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990).
	Recycling textiles saves resources. About ½ the clothes Americans wear are made of synthetic fibers produced from oil - a non-renewable resource. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990).
	The rest are made of natural fibers like cotton, often produced with pesticides, chemical fertilizers etc. Making them has already had an effect on the earth; we owe it to the planet to use them as long as they last. (Recycler's Handbook, 1990).

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Aug 11, 2006

On, Safe Ash Management and Reuse:

	Ash landfill studies conducted over the past decade show that Leachate is like salty water with metals content at about the same level as the standards set for drinking water.
	More than 300,000 tons of ash is used annually as daily and final cover in place of soil in landfills and in roadbed construction. Ash is used as a substitute for aggregate in road base materials, building construction and artificial offshore reefs.
	Waste-to-energy residue ash is safe for land filling. The ash exhibits concrete-like properties causing it to harden once it is placed and compacted in a landfill. This reduces the potential for rainwater to leach contaminants in landfills into the ground.

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

Aug 4, 2006

On, Waste-to-Energy Supports Recycling:

	Communities with waste-to-energy plants recycle an average of 33% of their trash.
	Waste-to-energy enables the recovery of materials that would not otherwise be recycled. Ferrous metals remaining in the ash are extracted by powerful magnets and sent to recycling centers. Since these metals are often combined with non-recyclable materials during manufacture, extraction of the metals would not be feasible without combustion. Nearly 788,000 tons of steel is recovered for recycling each year at waste-to-energy plants.
	Each year, an additional 939,000 tons of glass, plastics, white goods, batteries, paper, cardboard, metals, yard waste and ash are recycled on-site at waste-to-energy plants.

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

July 28, 2006

On, If you're thinking of getting a hybrid, you might find these facts helpful:

	The hybrid combines a gasoline-powered engine and a battery-operated motor to achieve superior fuel efficiency. No outlets needed.
	A process called regenerative braking recharges the car's battery by using its momentum as energy. This not only allows the hybrid to use less gasoline, but also emits less carbon dioxide.
	Compared to their "traditional" competition, hybrids often pack better acceleration because of their additional electric motor.
	Some hybrid models get 50 miles per gallon in the city.

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

July 21, 2006

On, Plastics:

	Toothbrushes represent more than 100 million lbs of plastic waste each year.
	In 2003, plastics accounted for 11% of the total materials discarded in the US by weight.
	Producing new plastic from recycled material uses only two-thirds of the energy required to manufacture it from raw materials.
	Each year in the North Pacific alone, nearly 100,000 marine mammals are killed by ingesting or getting tangled in plastic Debris.

Please Recycle! Have a great weekend!

July 14, 2006

On, Transportation:

	Today nearly 92% of downtown Tokyo travelers commute by rail, and the Japanese do only 55% of their traveling by car. Western Europeans now use public transit for 10% of all urban trips, and Canadians for 7%, compared with Americans at only 2%.
	The typical SUV today has a fuel economy 29% lower than that of the average car, resulting in a CO2 emissions rate roughly 40% higher.
	The US has the highest rate of Carbon emissions in the world, with close to 1,600 million metric tons of carbon released annually (about 25% of the world's total).
	Cycling accounts for some 12% of all trips in Germany and 27% of trips in the Netherlands. In contrast, in the U.S., bicycle infrastructure is much less extensive and less sophisticated. As a result, cycling accounts for less than 1% of all trips.

Have a great weekend!

July 7, 2006

On, Tire Recycling:

	Scrap tires pose 3 environmental threats: they are an extremely difficult to extinguish fire hazard; they trap rainwater which can breed mosquitoes that spread diseases; and they are bulky, virtually indestructible hazards that often work their way back up to the surface of landfills after burial.
	About 27 million scrap tires (9.3% of the total) are estimated to be disposed of in U.S. landfills.
	In 2001, 38 states banned the land filling of whole tires, and 11 states banned all scrap tires from landfills.
	Using ground rubber as an additive to asphalt paving has increased from 3 million tires in 1994 to 12 million tires in 2001.
	If the markets could be developed so that all suitable passenger and light truck tires were retreaded, the number of scrap tires generated per year would be reduced by almost 10%.

Have a great weekend!

June 30, 2006

On, Trash:

	The EPA has concluded that all landfills will eventually leak into the environment. (U.S. Geological Survey, "What Happens to the Waste in Landfills?", Fact sheet 040-03, 2003.
	Americans waste, or cause to be wasted, nearly 1 million lbs of materials per person, per year.
	In the U.S., we generate enough trash each day to fill 44,919 garbage trucks that hold 9 tons of trash each.
	Each individual generates about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year - about 4.5 lbs per person, per day. If we continue this pattern, we will have each created 90,000 lbs of trash in our lifetimes.

Have a great weekend!

June 16, 2006

On, Oil:

	200 Million gallons of oil are improperly disposed of each year.
	Just one gallon of used oil has the potential to contaminate up to one million gallons of drinking water.
	One part per million (ppm) of oil can be detected by odor and taste, 35 ppm can cause a visible slick & 50-100 ppm can disrupt bacterial action.
	It takes 42 gallons of crude oil, but only 1 gallon of used oil, to produce 2.5 quarts of new, high-quality lubricating oil.
	Recycling just 2 gallons of used oil can generate enough electricity to run the average household for almost 24 hours.

Have a great weekend!

June 2, 2006

On, Climate Change:

	According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Earth’s surface temperature has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century, with accelerated warming in the past 2 decades.
	Rising water temperatures have caused sea levels to rise 4 to 10 inches in the past 100 years, and it is predicted to rise another 20 inches over the next century (with some estimates as high as 35 inches).
	Fifty-three % of the U.S. population resides in coastal counties.

Have a great weekend!

May 17, 2006

On, Household Hazardous Waste and Pesticides:

	About 5% of the U.S. population aged 20 yrs and older has cadmium levels that put them at risk for kidney injury and low bone-mineral density.
	The insecticide diazinon, used in homes and on lawns, is one of the most frequently found pesticides in air, rain and fog.
	On average, 18 lbs of pesticides are used, per acre, per year on golf courses. This compares to 2.7 lbs used, per acre, per year, in agriculture.
	2 oz of ethylene glycol antifreeze can kill a dog, 1 tspn can be lethal to a cat and 2 tablespoons can be hazardous to children.

Have a great weekend!

May 12, 2006

On, Glass:

	The average American generates 79.5 lbs of glass per year.
	It takes approximately one million yrs for a glass bottle to break down at a landfill.
	Recycling one ton of glass saves the equivalent of 10 gallons of oil.
	The energy saved from recycling one wine bottle will operate a 100-watt light bulb for 3 hours

Have a great weekend!

May 5, 2006

On, Food/Waste:

	In 2003, food wastes accounted for nearly 12% of the total materials discarded in the U.S.
	27% of the food produced for human consumption in the U.S. is thrown out as waste, equaling 48 million tons annually.
	Recovering only 5% of U.S. food waste would represent one day's worth of food for four million people.
	Putting this good, usable food into landfills costs Americans $50 million each year.

Have a great weekend!

April 28, 2006

On, Electronics:

	In 2005, Americans used an average of six wireless products in their day-to-day lives (up from an average of 3 in 1999) with over 30% of Americans using eight or more.
	The average lifespan for a common PC manufactured in 2005 is estimated to be two years.
	Consumers are storing an average of 2-3 obsolete computers in garages, closets and storage spaces.
	Every month approximately 100,000 lbs. Of CD's become outdated, useless or unwanted.

Have a great weekend!

April 21, 2006

On, Tires/Rubber:

	It takes seven gallons of crude oil to produce one car tire.
	Approximately 290 million scrap tires were generated in 2004.
	There are at least 275 million scrap tires in stockpiles in the U.S.
	It takes 3.6 billion gallons of crude oil to produce tires for all of the cars in the U.S,

Have a great weekend!

April 14, 2006

On, Transportation:

	The U.S. rate of car ownership is the highest in the world -about 50% higher than in Western Europe.
	If fuel economy were improved by 5 m.p.g., American consumers would save 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, more than half of what the U.S. imports from the Middle East.
	The 8.2 million barrels per day of fuel consumed by U.S. automobiles nearly matches the amount of oil produced by Saudi Arabia.

Have a great weekend!

April 7, 2006

On, Metals:

	Collection, crushing and melting of scrap metal back into new production makes steel the second most recycled material in the U.S. (asphalt pavement is the first).
	More than 5,400 BTU of energy are conserved for every pound of steel recycled.
	Some 220 tons of earth are excavated to produce just a ton of copper.
	Recycling one pound of steel saves enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb more than 26 hours.

Have a great weekend!

March 31, 2006

On, Compost Facts:

	Grass clippings contain valuable nutrients that can generate up to 25% of your lawn’s total fertilizer needs when left on the lawn.
	Mature compost can control several plant diseases without the use of synthetic fungicides or fumigants.
	If the 2.15 million tons of food residuals generated annually were composted instead of being sent to landfills, the resulting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to taking more than two million cars off the road.

Have a great weekend!

March 24, 2006

On, Construction & Demolition Facts:

	Each year, 170,000 commercial buildings are constructed in the U.S., and 44,000 commercial buildings are demolished.
	Total waste from an average 2,000-sq. ft. home adds up to about 8,000 lbs taking up 50 cubic yards of space.
	About 12% of the drywall used in new construction ends up as scrap.
	If 25% of the buildings demolished every year were deconstructed, approximately 20 million tons of debris could be diverted from landfills.

Have a great weekend!

March 17, 2006

On, St Patty's Day:

	Saint Patrick, known as the Apostle of Ireland, was a high-ranking Christian clergyman. His legendary use of the shamrock as an illustration of the Trinity led to its adoption as Ireland's national symbol.
	Ireland was Christianized by Saint Patrick in the 5th century. He and his successors founded churches and monasteries that became centers of Christian art and refinement. Saint Patrick's Day is the most important national holiday in Ireland.
	Shamrocks have been considered good-luck symbols by the Irish since early times, and shamrocks or various representations of the plant are frequently worn on Saint Patrick's Day. The hop clover is widely accepted as the original shamrock picked by Saint Patrick. The name shamrock comes from the Irish Seamrog, which means "little clover."

Have a great weekend!

March 10, 2006

On, Safe Ways to Control Pests Around Your Home:

	Make Sure Your House Is Clean and Dry
	Seal Entryways
	Try Chemical-Free Strategies: i.e. Vacuum for individual bugs or nests (bugs will usually suffocate in the bag) Lay traps (flytraps, jar-traps, pheromone traps, light traps, etc).
	Choose Lower-Risk Pesticides. See www.beyondpesticides.org for details.

Have a great weekend!

March 3, 2006

On, Waste reduction fast facts - compost:

	If the 21.5 million tons of food residuals generated annually were composted instead of being sent to landfills, the result would be a reduction of about three million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents in greenhouse gas emissions. This is equivalent to taking more than two million cars off the road.
	When burned, yard wastes emit certain gases that contribute to the formation of smog-causing nitrogen oxides. In addition, leaf smoke can make breathing difficult for people who suffer from asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or allergies.
	One hundred pounds of grass clippings can generate and recycle as much as three to pounds of nitrogen, one-half to one pound of phosphorus and two to three pounds of potassium back to the lawn.

Have a great weekend!

February 24, 2006

On, Things You Can Do To Help the Planet:

	RECYCLE aluminum, tin, newspaper and glass. Start a recycling program in your workplace and recycle at home. Use recycled paper and other products made from recycled materials.
	SUPPORT environmentally sensitive businesses.
	READ LABELS . Avoid toxic household products. Learn how to safely dispose of household hazardous waste.
	REMOVE the caps from plastic bottles that get thrown away. This allows bottles to be compacted flat in the landfill, thus conserving landfill capacity.

Have a great weekend!

February 17, 2006

On, Tree Myths and Facts:

	MYTH: The early U.S. forest was a carpet of trees that extended from coast to coast.
	FACT: The pre-Columbian forest of 1600 covered less than half of the present day United States.
	MYTH: We're running out of trees.
	FACT: We have more trees today than we had in 1970, on the first Earth Day even more than we had 70 years ago. In the middle of the last century, for example, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut were about 35% forested; today they are 59%.

Have a great weekend!

February 3, 2006

On, Why do grizzly bears matter? Why should Americans care about them?

Grizzly bears are icons of the wild high country of the American West. When Lewis and Clark explored the West, grizzlies roamed from the Great Plains to California and from Alaska to Mexico. Today, however, the grizzly population in the lower 48 states is about 1 percent of estimated pre-colonial levels, and the few bears that remain are concentrated in shrinking pockets of the northern Rockies and North Cascades.

Any American who cares about this nation's history has a stake in conserving grizzly bears and their mountain habitat. Healthy bear populations mean that the land is healthy, and our children and grandchildren deserve the chance to experience for themselves these wild landscapes and their animals.

Have a great weekend!

January 27, 2006

On,

	By turning down your central heating thermostat one degree, fuel consumption is cut by as much as 10%.
	Insulating your attic reduces the amount of energy loss in most houses by up to 20%.
	40 percent of the energy you use in your home is for heat.

Have a great weekend!

January 20, 2006

On, How can we produce less hazardous waste?

Try these tips for a less-toxic household!

	Buy only the amount of paint and cleaners you need.
	Use up materials for the purpose they were intended.
	Buy latex paint instead of oil based paint. It is easier to cleanup and easier to recycle.
	Buy non-toxic or the least toxic product that will do the job.
	Read the label! Avoid products that are marked "dangerous" since they are usually the most toxic.

Have a great weekend!

January 13, 2006

On, interesting environmental facts:

Here is an example of the water we use everyday:

3-7 gallons for toilet, 25-30 gallons for tub, 50-70 gallons for a 10-minute shower, 1 washing machine load uses 25-40 gallons, 1 dishwasher load uses 9-12 gallons

Here is an example of how long it takes some things take to break down:

Plastics take 500 years, aluminum cans take 500 years, organic materials take 6 months, and cotton, rags & paper take 6 months.

Have a great weekend!

December 29, 2005

On, Christmas Fast Facts:

	During the Christmas buying season. Visa cards alone are used an average of 5,340 times every minute within the U.S.
	To solicit cash for a charity Christmas dinner in 1891, a large crab pot was set down on a San Francisco street - the first Salvation Army collection kettle.
	Postmen in Victorian England were popularly called "robins" because their uniforms were red. Christmas cards often showed a robin delivering Christmas mail.
	More than three billion Christmas cards are sent annually in the U.S.
	Puritans forbade the singing of Christmas carols.

Have a great weekend!

December 16, 2005

On, Global Warming:

Is global warming making hurricanes worse?
Global warming doesn’t create hurricanes, but it does make them stronger and more dangerous. Because the ocean is getting warmer, tropical storms can pick up more energy and become more powerful. So global warming could turn, say, a category 3 storm into a much more dangerous category 4 storm. In fact, scientists have found that the destructive potential of hurricanes has greatly increased along with ocean temperature over the past 35 years

Have a great weekend!

December 2, 2005

On, Recycling over the holidays:

	The holidays are coming! Do your part to reduce waste this year with clever presents wrapped in a new tablecloth or dishtowel, or give an "eco-present" such as a compost bin or battery recharger
	A live, potted tree is a great way to celebrate the holidays. After the holiday you can always plant the tree or keep it in its pot and enjoy the same tree next year

Have a great weekend!

November 23, 2005

Turkey Facts:

	Turkeys are able to adapt to a wide variety of habitats. However, most turkeys are found in hardwood forests with grassy areas
	The best time to see a turkey is on a warm clear day or in a light rain
	Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead
	Turkeys can drown if they look up when it is raining
	Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!! From the Green Seal staff!!

October 21, 2005

Removing Mold from your home:

	Never mix bleach with ammonia. Mixing bleach and ammonia can produce dangerous, toxic fumes.
	Open windows and doors to provide fresh air
	Wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear
	If the area to be cleaned is more than 10 square feet, consult the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guide titled Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings. Although focused on schools and commercial buildings, this document also applies to other building types. You can get it free by calling the EPA Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse at (800) 438-4318, or by going to the EPA web site at http://www.epa.gov/mold/mold_remediation.html
	Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when using bleach or any other cleaning product

Have a great weekend!

September 30, 2005

Our Pollution:

	Americans use approximately 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year. Research shows that target pests will eventually develop resistance to these pesticides anyway.
	Seventy-three different kinds of pesticides have been found in groundwater, which is potential drinking water.
	Estimated costs of cleaning up the 24,000 contaminated federal nuclear facilities range from $100 billion to $400 billion. (The Environmental Protection Agency)
	Each year U.S. factories spew 3 million tons of toxic chemicals into the air, land, and water. That compounds the over one-half billion tons of solid hazardous wastes - we're not talking about your garbage here - that get dumped across the nation for our generation to one day clean up. (The Gale Environmental Scorecard)

Have a great weekend!

September 23, 2005

The Earth:

The Earth has been around for 4.6 billion years. Scaling this time down to 46 years we have been around for 4 hours and our Industrial Revolution began just 1 minute ago. During this short time period we have ransacked the planet for ways to get fuels and raw materials, have been the cause of extinction of an unthinkable amount of plants and animals, and have multiplied our population to that of a plague.

Despite all of the damage we have caused the environment most of it is reversible. We can restore habitats and return species to them; clean rivers; renovate buildings; replenish the topsoil, replant forests. However, these activities do not relieve the worst symptoms of the damage. We still have to fix the source of these problems.

Have a great weekend!

September 9, 2005

Solar Energy Facts:

	A Swiss scientist called Horace de Saussure invented the world’s first solar collector, or ‘hot box’ in 1767.
	In 5 billion years the Sun will run out of fuel and turn into a Red Giant
	The famous astronomer Sir John Herschel used ‘hot boxes’ to cook his food when on an expedition to South Africa in the 1830s.
	We can produce laser light a million times brighter than sunshine
	A lightning bolt is hotter than the surface of the Sun
	It takes 8 minutes 17 seconds for light to travel from the Sun's surface to the Earth

Have a great weekend!

September 2, 2005

Lighting:

Increasing your lighting efficiency is one of the fastest ways to decrease your energy bills. If you replace 25% of your lights in high-use areas with fluorescents, you can save about 50% of your lighting energy bill.

Indoor Lighting:
Use linear fluorescent and energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in fixtures throughout your home to provide high-quality and high-efficiency lighting. Fluorescent lamps are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last 6 to 10 times longer. Although fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they pay for themselves by saving energy over their lifetime. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing these products.

Outdoor Lighting
Many homeowners use outdoor lighting for decoration and security. When shopping for outdoor lights, you will find a variety of products, from low-voltage pathway lighting to high-pressure sodium floodlights. Many lights can be controlled with motion detectors, so they only turn on when they are needed. Some stores also carry lights powered by small photovoltaic (PV) modules that convert sunlight directly into electricity; consider PV-powered lights for areas that are not close to an existing power supply line.

Have a great weekend!!!

August 26, 2005

Energy Saving Appliances:

When you have to shop for a new appliance, look for the ENERGY STAR® label. ENERGY STAR® appliances have been identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DOE as being the most energy-efficient products in their classes. They usually exceed minimum federal standards by a substantial amount. The appliance shopping guide lists some of the major appliances that carry the ENERGY STAR® label and provides helpful information on what to look for when shopping for an appliance

To help you figure out whether an appliance is energy efficient, look for the bright yellow & black Energy Guide Label. This will tell you the annual energy consumption & operating cost for each appliance.

Have a great weekend!!!

August 19, 2005

Litter is an environmental priority because it:

	reduces the aesthetic appeal of public places including streets, parks and waterways
	can kill aquatic life directly (eg. through choking) and indirectly through its impacts on water quality
	can cause blockages of the drainage system and flooding (costing councils millions of dollars to repair)
	can be dangerous to people particularly when it involves items such as broken glass, needles and syringes
	may be a fire hazard (lit cigarettes being thrown from vehicles)
	costs the community huge sums of money to clean up every year

Think before you throw, and have a great weekend!!!

August 12, 2005

What you can do to prevent runoff pollution:

	Don't pour oil, engine fluids, cleaners, or household chemicals down storm drains or sinks
	Find approved motor oil and household chemical recycling or disposal facilities near your home, and make sure your family and friends use them
	Use lawn, garden and farm chemicals sparingly and wisely. Before spreading chemicals or fertilizer, check the weather forecast for rain so they don't wash away
	Repair automobile or boat engine leaks immediately
	Get educated and share your knowledge

Have a great weekend!!!

August 5, 2005

Facts on why choosing glass & recycling glass is good for you and the environment

	Glass is 100% percent recyclable
	Recycling glass reduces environmental impacts
	Glass conserves natural resources
	It’s protective, tamper resistant packaging
	It’s non-toxic and FDA approved
	Glass ensures freshness and taste

Have a great weekend!!!

July 29, 2005

Environmental tips for shoppers

	Make comparisons. Check consumer’s report or other product rating magazines. Consider the product company’s overall record.
	Can you lease, rent or borrow it rather than buy it? How resourceful can you get?
	Bring your own shopping bags to the mall, or bring back those plastic grocery bags & Reuse them.
	Minimize your use of disposables including nylons, take out food containers, pens, etc.
	Can it be repaired? Can it be upgraded? Does it have a good warranty?

Shop Smart and have a great weekend!!!

July 22, 2005

Water Conservation

In the dog days of summer, thoughts turn to water truly a precious resource. Conservation not only helps ensure that our water supply is adequate; it also protects the quality of our water. Here’s what you can do to conserve at home.

	Turn water off while shaving, brushing teeth and scrubbing dishes.
	Keep drinking water in the refrigerator, rather than letting the tap run til the water gets cool.
	Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator overnight, instead of using water to thaw it.
	Put the drain stopper in the tub before running the water. Fill the tub halfway.

Have a Great Weekend!!!

July 15, 2005

Ideas for Recycling Organic/Garden Waste

	Local pig farmers often appreciate any kitchen scraps that you can offer them. If you know of any in your area, get in touch with them and find out if they are interested in your kitchen scraps.
	If you’ve done any trimming of trees and hedges, contact the local Zoo to see if they can use these for their animals, either as food or environment improvement.
	Avoid using kitchen waste disposers and compost food scraps instead. This reduces the load on sewage treatment plants.
	If you need leaf mulch for your garden, approach a local school and ask what they do with the leaf litter. Some schools throw theirs away.

Have a Great Weekend!!!

July 8, 2005

Ideas to Recycle Household Waste in the Garden

Aluminum trays from pies and cakes make ideal “drip saucers” to put under potted plants.

Old tyres can be used outside for plant pots – especially good for plants that like warm soils.

The following waste items can be modified and used for planting seedlings:

Egg cartons
Plastic containers for cherry tomatoes
Old boots and shoes
Plastic containers for takeaways
The cardboard centers from toilet rolls
Plastic ice-cream containers

Have a Great Weekend!!

July 1, 2005

Personal Watercrafts and the Environment

	One of the greatest threats to beach habitats today is the use of personal watercraft, or PWCs. Commonly referred to as Jet Skis or Wave Runners, these noisy water vehicles flush wildlife from their cover, promote nest abandonment, and stress marine mammals and waterfowl.
	In addition, they also serve as a tremendous source of pollution. According to a recent Environmental Protection Agency study, nearly one-third of PWCs' fuel and oil can be leaked directly into the water and air. In one day, a PWC can produce the same amount of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide as a late-model passenger car driven 100,000 miles.
	Their compact size allows them to maneuver into more remote areas of shallow water, areas a boat wouldn't attempt to navigate, where they can do substantial damage, such as chewing up mangrove roots and stands of billowing sea grass.
	Try Snorkeling or Scuba Diving to enjoy natural settings while respecting their natural balances.

Happy 4th of July!!!

June 24, 2005

Ways To Save $ and Energy With Your Vehicle

	Curtail aggressive driving. Speeding, rapid acceleration, and rapid braking all waste gas - and curb mileage by as much as 33 percent at highway speeds, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). * In addition, speeding wastes gas - and your money. Each mile per hour you drive over 60 mph is like paying an extra 10 cents per gallon, according to DOE.
	When buying a new vehicle, think high gas mileage. Check out the DOE website, www.fueleconomy.gov, , for information on fuel-efficient vehicles. Learn about current electric drive vehicles on the Electric Drive Transportation Association website, www.electricdrive.org
	Get a $2,000 federal tax deduction this year when you purchase a hybrid-electric car. Next year, the deduction drops to $500.
	Protect your health and your pocketbook by walking to your destination whenever possible. You'll lose weight, lower stress, save gas and money, and reduce pollution
	Find additional tips for saving fuel and money from the American Automobile Association at www.aaanewsroom.net/Files/gaswatch02.pdf.

Have a great Weekend!!!

June 17, 2005

Hepa Filtration

If you've shopped for a household air cleaner or a filter for one lately, you've probably noticed the acronym HEPA. It stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. It describes the ability of the filter or air cleaner to capture particles. The acronym originated in World War II to describe filters used in gas masks, and a military specification was written to describe these filters. The specification requires that a HEPA filter remove at least 99.97% of the particles in the air down to three-tenths of a micron in size (a micron is one-millionth of a meter). Particles this small are small enough to escape most types of filtration and are easily inhaled. It's no surprise, then, that particles that trigger asthma and allergies fall within this size range. If you buy an air filter, be sure it is a true HEPA!

Have a great Weekend!!!

June 10, 2005

Interesting Environmental Facts

	Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour! Most of them are thrown away!
	Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year!
	Americans throw away 25,000,000 plastic beverage bottles every hour!
	Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator.
	Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year.

Have a great Weekend!!!

June 3, 2005

Making use of your mountain of plastic bags

	Place them in the bottom of plant pots and hanging baskets - they act as great drainage systems.
	Children can use them for carrying PE gear to school.
	Scrunch them up to surround items when you're packaging as an alternative to bubble wrap.
	Use them in the garden to hold your grass cuttings and hedge trimmings before transfer to a compost bin.
	Use them when packing for a holiday to keep dirty/wet clothes and shoes away from dry clothing.
	Use them as 'doggy doo bags' when out walking your dog! Or, for cleaning the cat box!

Have a great Weekend!!!

May 27, 2005

Batteries and the Environment

	RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES: Prolonged exposure to mercury can not only make people extremely sick, but can even affect behavior. In the 1600s hat-makers who used mercury to treat felt and fur began acting strangely. Since no one knew that the hatters were showing the effects of mercury poisoning, it was assumed that they were just crazy. Hence the expression 'mad as a hatter', and Alice's Mad Hatter.
	Remove batteries from appliances if they are not going to be used for a long time.
	Batteries require more than 35 times more energy to make than they produce. They also cause significant problems for the environment when they are thrown away because of the toxic and poisonous substances they contain
	Rechargeable batteries containing cadmium or lead should be recycled. Check with your local government recycling coordinator for the nearest recycling center, or call 1-800-8-battery.

May 20, 2005

Aluminium

	Recycling aluminum cuts related air pollution by 95%.
	Making aluminum recycled from aluminum uses 95% less energy than making aluminum from scratch.
	If you throw away an aluminum can out of your car window, it will still litter the earth up to 500 years later.
	The energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a television set for 3 hours.
	Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild their entire commercial air fleet.
	Here in Massachusetts it pays to recycle your cans. Take your cans to the Return Facility nearest you, those nickels and dimes add up!

Have a Great Weekend!!

May 13, 2005

Smokers and Litter

	Many smokers do not believe that littering their cigarette butts has an environmental impact. Smokers blame their littering behavior on a lack of well-placed bins for cigarette butts.
	Over 80% of smokers said they would bin their butts if suitable bins were available
	It is estimated that several trillion-cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year. That's billions of cigarettes flicked, one at a time, on our sidewalks, beaches, nature trails, gardens, and other public places every single day. In fact, cigarettes are the most littered item in America and the world. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate tow, NOT COTTON, and they can take decades to degrade. Not only does cigarette litter ruin even the most picturesque setting, but also the toxic residue in cigarette filters is damaging to the environment, and littered butts cause numerous fires every year, some of them fatal.

Happy Friday the 13th! Have a great weekend!!

April 26, 2005

Why Buy Organic Flowers for Mother’s Day & Everyday ?

	Whenever you touch or inhale the scent of your non-organic flowers, you are likely touching or inhaling poisonous chemicals. When you buy organic flowers, you will not have to worry about chemicals on your flower bouquets being toxic to your children, other members of your family, or yourself.
	The main goal of organic agriculture is to farm in ways that do not harm the environment, while there is no such motive for most non-organic farms.
	Buying organic flowers helps support local organic farming communities and organizations, which often have charitable, philanthropic motives for selling their flowers.
	Organic flowers, according to many people, last longer than non-organic ones.

Have a great weekend, and Happy Mother’s Day!