Happy Earth Day! Our planet is truly the ultimate Home Sweet Home!
Did you know that the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 after Wisconsin U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson witnessed the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara? It was a time when not many people considered the effects of pollution on our environment. Still, 20 million Americans participated in that first Earth Day 46 years ago.
Awareness is rising and there are many ways to offset our carbon footprint. In fact, there are dozens of ways you can make a difference right in your own home, and backyard. Here are five simple ideas to celebrate Earth Day! Go Green!
Junk the junk mail for good – This first tip will not only make you happier but will also stop some of the waste that is headed to our landfill. Did you know that you can put a stop to that unsolicited mail from credit card companies who want your business, just like you can stop those pesky telemarketers from calling you? Well, you can! (Wait, is this Earth Day or Christmas?!?) Simply visit this site and add your address to the list! Say goodbye to pre-screened credit card offers!
Upgrade to Energy Star appliances – This is the PERFECT reason to invest in that shiny new dishwasher that will actually clean your plates. Energy star appliances will save you money, and save the environment a little bit at a time. How do you know if appliances are energy-star rated? Simply look for the small blue Energy Star logo shown here. Energystar.gov also offers other power-saving tips that will also help save the environment. Another favorite tip of ours is to swap out those incandescent lightbulbs for Energy Star-certified bulbs. In fact, once a CFL bulb is turned on, it actually uses 70% less energy!
Turn that brown thumb green – Maybe changing out your appliances isn’t in the budget right now? That’s okay because there are some much more cost-effective options for adding a bit of green to your life! Consider planting a vegetable garden and literally sow the seeds to a delicious harvest! If a full-blown garden is too much, try an herb garden. While you’re at it, did you know that you can create a compost bin for about $15? Here’s another little-known fact: Many cities and counties offer composting classes for free! If you’d rather not get dirty, then perhaps a trip to the local farmer’s market is more your style. That’s a better option than relying on food that’s been shipped hundreds of miles across the country.
Trash the disposable bags and bottles – We’ve become a very disposable society (we’re guilty of it here too.) Simply changing from plastic bags for shopping to reusable ones can make a HUGE difference in the amount of trash one person generates. You can even make your own reusable shopping bag from an old t-shirt! Switching to a water filtration system and reusing water bottles is also a big change for the environment; yet, both of these changes will have a negligible effect on your everyday life!
Power it all down – We’ve all heard that we should turn off our lights when we leave the room, but also remember to wait as long as you can to turn them on by opening your blinds and curtains. You should also turn off your computer at night, and unplug other electronics that you aren’t using like your coffee pot. You can also check with your utility company to see if they offer green power or other energy-saving initiatives. Requesting an energy audit of your home can also pinpoint areas where you can improve the energy efficiency of your home while lowering the cost of your bill.
There are plenty of options for honoring our planetary home today, tomorrow, and all year. We'd love to hear how you are celebrating this holiday. Let us know in the comments below!
Want to know more about the Energy Savings features built into every Eastwood Home? Visit any of our beautiful community locations.
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