Happy Earth Day

Earth Day is celebrated on the 22nd day of April.  Did you know the idea for Earth Day came from Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California?  Earth Day 1970 was a time when the flower-child and hippie movement was in full swing.  It was also a time people used leaded gasoline, drove 8 cylinder gas guzzlers and the smell from pollution became the norm.  Earth Day changed all that and influenced people to put environmental concerns front and center.  Since 2000, the focus on global warming and a push for clean energy emerged thanks to Gaylord Nelson.

Did you know this special event is celebrated twice a year? The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in the spring. The Southern Hemisphere celebrates in autumn.

There so much you can do to help on Earth Day and all year round.  Here’s a list of ideas you can do to help our environment;

1. Install a programmable electronic thermostat.  An electronic thermostat is much more accurate and more energy efficient as you can set different temperatures when you are home or away.
2. Get a low-flush toilet. On average, toilets are the single largest use of water inside of a house, and older models can use up to 5 times as much water as state-of-the-art versions.
3. Purchase energy efficient appliance to save on energy and also reduce your utility bills.
4. Organize an event in your community to clean up trash and debris in your neighborhood and parks.  You can also contact your city hall to see what else you can volunteer to do to help with Earth Day.
5. Fisherman can help our local fisheries by cleaning up any trash around ponds or lakes.  Bring a plastic bag next time you go fishing.
6. Plant trees, flowers or start a garden.
7. Check for water leaks around your home and get them repaired by a professional plumber.
8. If you see running water unattended, report it immediately.

Earth Day is Every Day