You make the difference! Each and every one of us has a tremendous impact on the planet's health. A few simple changes to your daily life will change the future of the Earth.
In Your Home
- Reduce your usage of electricity and water, and your consumption of goods.
- Recycle everything you can: paper, cans, glass, aluminum, motor oil, scrap metal, batteries, and plastics. To find out how and where to recycle your trash, visit earth911.com.
- 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 unplugging appliances when not in use.
- Replace light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs; they last much longer and will save you money on your electricity bill and protect the environment.
In Your Yard
- Mow your lawn with a gas-less push mower. It's cheaper, quieter, and eco-friendly.
- After mowing, leave grass clippings on the lawn. They add nutrients to the soil.
- Control insects and pests 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 just one less gallon of gas per week, greenhouse gases will be reduced by 1 million tons. With this in mind:
- Drive less. Walk, carpool, or take public transit. Sharing a ride can have a tremendous impact. Plus, you'll save money.
- Buy a fuel-efficient car. The average American driver will expend 5,600 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 oat the local landfill can contaminate up to 2 million gallons of drinking water. Visit earth911.com to find a local center that accepts and recycles the things you can't place curbside for pick-up.
Out and About
- Dispose of trash properly. Even in cities, most trash eventually finds its way to the oceans. Baltimore city is on the Chesapeake Bay. A cigarette butt tossed on Charles Street may eventually be mistaken for food by sea birds that see it floating on the water. Cigarette butts, like most human-made trash, are not biodegradable.
- Pick up trash when you see it, whether in the city, in a park, on the beach, or anywhere else.
Volunteer
- Join the Aquarium at one of our conservation events.
- Ask around your local community for ways you can help!
