Here are 10 easy ways to make it a better Earth Day (April 22) and a better year for the Earth:

1. Turn it off. Switch off lights and appliances that aren’t in use. Shut off the faucet while you shave or brush your teeth.
2. Turn it up (or down). Raise the temperature on your thermostat during the summer months to keep the house a bit warmer, and lower it during the winter months to keep the house a bit cooler. Dress accordingly.
3. Turn it over. Use both sides of paper. The back side of paper can be used to print drafts or jot notes. When you print and copy new documents, choose double-sided printing.
4. Turn it down. When you shop, carry your own tote bags and say “no thanks” to paper or plastic store bags.
5. Turn it in. Do some spring cleaning and give away clothing, house wares, small appliances, toys, and games that you no longer need.
6. Turn it around. Use and reuse what you already have. Extend the life of what you own with proper maintenance. Follow instructions for recharging batteries to keep them in tip-top shape.
7. Turn it away. Reduce your waste at the source—don’t buy what you don’t really need. For example, take a look at last year’s spring and summer clothes before you start shopping this year.
8. Turn it back…into something else. Recycle! Your old containers and paper products become brand-new stuff—from containers and paper to furniture and insulation.
9. Turn it under. Compost your yard and garden waste, as well as your fruit and vegetable scraps, to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
10. Turn it on. When you are excited about taking care of our Earth, you’ll get others excited, too. So turn on your charm and tell your story!

~ by digitalpoetry on April 21, 2008.