How to be Eco-Fabulous

Happy Earth Day everyone! Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, and is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.

Do something to show love for our Earth today!

For more information on Earth Day, visit www.earthday.net

1. Switch off the light as you leave the room.

2. Speaking of lights...change your light bulbs to energy saving bulbs! These are known as CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs). GE Energy Smart Bulbs are good, or there is a generic Walmart brand that will save you a couple of bucks.
Energy saving bulbs save (duh!) energy and also save you cash by reducing your electricity bill. Yes they are a little more expensive than regular bulbs, but you save much more in the long run. They last for about five years! and save you about $45 in electricity costs over the life of only one bulb!

Don't forget to dispose of them properly. Since they contain mercury, they should not be tossed in the garbage bin or put out with regular recycling.

3. Turn off the ceiling fan when you leave the room.

4. Run the dishwasher and washing machine on full loads only. Also use cold water only in these machines. You save on your hot water costs and energy.

5. Choose the dishwasher over hand washing the dishes. When I had first heard this I looked it up and saw that you do indeed save gallons of water by running the dishwasher! You also save time that can be better spent, for example, with your family!

1. Unplug appliances and items such as your toaster and cell phone charger when you are finished using them. Leaving them plugged in after usage drains energy.

2. Invest in a reusable grocery bag. This saves on plastic bags that the stores so freely use (and waste). Do you know that the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually? Keep your reusable bag in your car so you don't forget it when you go to the store. Check out our Eco Fabulous tote bag that is perfect for groceries!

3. Now we're sure you've heard of this one...Save water! Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Brushing your teeth twice a day with the water on wastes 5.5 gallons! Also, don't run the shower for a long time before you take a shower. Don't take long showers every day.

4. Install a low-flow showerhead. They are pretty cheap.

5. Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.

6. Walk instead of driving! If your destination is short, why not walk if the weather is nice? Or you can rollerblade or ride a bike. If every American spent 30 minutes a day walking instead of driving, we would cut carbon emissions by 64 million tons and shed 3 billion pounds of excess weight. Also, short car trips produce four times the carbon monoxide and twice the volatile organic compounds of engines running hot.

With a little planning and some conscious decisions, it is so easy to help our planet! Imagine if everyone did a little bit every day to help what we could do!

Here are some more easy tips on what we can do:

1. If you're a coffee drinker, then buy a reusable coffee mug. Take it with you when you go to Starbucks or your morning coffee joint so you won't have to use paper cups.

2. Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Or just get one of those filter jugs and fill 'em up. Save money this way and reduce container waste caused by plastic bottles.

1. Think Globally, Eat Locally: Food that's grown locally reduces transportation-related emissions. Local farmers' markets are great places to shop.

2. Keep your Tires Pumped Up: Properly inflated tires improve your gas mileage. Every gallon of gas you save keeps 20 pounds of CO2 emissions out of our air.