Earth Day: April 22, 2010

Earth Day is April 22, 2010. It is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. This year is the 40th anniversary of the holiday.

What can you do to go green? Turns out there are many small changes that you can make to hug it out with Mother Earth.

I’m sure you have noticed reusable bags in your local grocery store. Kudos to those of you who have already begun using them. Tree Hugger recently featured a story about a significant drop in the use of plastic bags in Washington D.C.

Washington DC’s 5 cent tax on plastic bags, instated just this past January, has already proven to have a phenomenal impact: the number of plastic bags handed out by supermarkets and other establishments dropped from the 2009 monthly average of 22.5 million to just 3 million in January. While significantly reducing plastic waste, the tax simultaneously generated $150,000 in revenue, which will be used to clean up the Anacostia River.

The Washington Post reports:

Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), sponsor of the bag tax bill, said the new figures show that city residents are adapting to the law far more quickly than he or other city officials had expected.The tax, one of the first of its kind in the nation, is designed to change consumer behavior and limit pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Under regulations created by the D.C. Department of the Environment, bakeries, delicatessens, grocery stores, drugstores, convenience stores, department stores and any other “business that sells food items” must charge the tax on paper or plastic bags.

Washington D.C. embraced the small tax increase and in turn helped limit pollution. Going green is not a fad. It’s not the fashionable thing to do right now. It’s a new way of life.

There are several things you can do immediately.

Tip #1: Unplug: Take a few minutes to turn off electrical devices and turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Tip #2: Use less water. Don’t let the water run while you are brushing your teeth.

Tip #3. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Tip #4. Buy organic and local foods.

Tip #5. Drive less (this one is pretty hard if you don’t live in a walkable neighborhood).

For a complete guide to how to go green check out Planet Green’s How to Guide.

*Photo courtesy of gocanada.about.com