Happy Earth Day! What can we do to save the planet?

Happy Earth Day! What can we do to save the planet?

Happy Earth Day!

Activities have been canceled but there are plenty of things we can do ourselves!

  1. Please make a commitment to not to leave trash on the beach! We know what it is like to have this great privilege taken away. Now it the time to take care of it!

 

What can we do to save the planet?

Here is what is happening at the Oxbow!Join the Oxbow Eco-Center in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day starting April 22, 2020 and lasting all year long. The Oxbow Eco-Center is launching an ‘Alternative Earth Day’ initiative that changes from a single day festival to a celebration and action plan that lasts throughout the year.

Every week we’ll be sharing ways for you to stay engaged, be healthy, and continue to take action for clean water and a healthy environment.

We’ll be asking for your creativity and ingenuity in a variety of ways, from creating ‘social distancing’ artwork, participating in community-wide eco-challenges, joining efforts to keep our parks and preserves litter-free, and sharing ideas and actions that help people and the environment. The result will be a new Earth Day story of resiliency, caring, and community.

No matter your situation, the Alternative Earth Day Action plan will offer ways to safely engage with your friends and family while wielding your imagination and passion for the natural world.
COVID-19 may have changed a lot about our daily lives, but the one thing we know for sure is that we are a resilient people. We’ve made it through many crises over the years and we always come back wiser and stronger than ever. #ResilientStLucie #OxbowEarthDay

Here are some suggestions. Let us know if you have more!

1. Plant a tree or donate to a local environmental group or nature preserve.

2. Use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products.

3. Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with efficient CFLs or LEDs. (Reduce your carbon footprint by 450 pounds a year, according to earthday.org).

4. Stay home! You’re actually reducing your carbon footprint by one pound for every mile you do not drive according to earthday.org.

5. When you do drive, keep your tires properly inflated to get better gas mileage. You’ll reduce your carbon footprint 20 pounds for each gallon of gas saved.

6. Change your car’s air filter regularly.

7. Teleconference instead of traveling. If you fly five times per year, those trips are likely to account for 75% of your personal carbon footprint.

8. Stop using disposable plastics, especially single-use plastics like bottles, bags and straws.

9. Recycle paper, plastic and glass. Reduce your garbage by 10% and your carbon footprint by 1,200 pounds a year.

10. Before you throw out those old clothes and home goods, consider setting them aside until it is safe to donate them to those in need.

11. Use cloth towels instead of paper ones.

12. Change your paper bills to online billing. You’ll be saving trees and the fuel it takes to deliver your bills by truck.

13. Read documents online instead of printing them. When you need to use paper, go for 100% post-consumer recycled paper and make sure to print two-sided.

14. Use reusable bottles for water, and reusable mugs for coffee.

15. Bring reusable bags when you shop.

16. Pack your lunch in a reusable bag.

17. Buy local food to reduce the distance from farm to fork.

18. Buy organic food to keep your body and the environment free of toxic pesticides. Support farmers and companies who use organic ingredients.

19. Grow your own organic garden

20. Reduce your meat consumption to curb carbon emissions from the livestock industry.

21. Compost kitchen scraps for use in your garden — turning waste into fertilizer.

22. Take a shorter shower and use a water-saving shower head.

23. Fix leaky faucets and shower-heads.

24. Run your dishwasher only when it’s full to save water and energy.

25. Conserve water outdoors by only watering your lawn in the early morning or late at night. Use drought-resistant plants in dry areas.

26. Wash your clothes only when necessary, use cold water and line dry.

27. Pull out invasive plants in your yard or garden and replace them with native ones.

28. Turn off and unplug electronics you’re not using. This includes turning off your computer at night.

29. Turn off lights when you leave a room.

30. Install solar panels on your roof.

31. Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer to reduce your carbon footprint by 2,000 pounds.

32. Lower the temperature on your water heater.

33. Contact your utility company and find out about renewable energy options.

34. Use energy-efficient appliances and electronics.

35. Recycle batteries from small appliances and your electronics. Use rechargeable batteries instead!Here is my multi award winning documentary about a wonderful group who picks up the garbage in Jupiter in exchange to keep the dogs on the beach! Featured music Big Vince Flora and the Phat Cats. Other contributors Adam Lenz Tina K. VaLant
This year I hope after having our beaches taken away-people will stop leaving their trash on the beach. Just stop it!

photo credit Cristina Maldenado TC Trash art

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