Saturday, March 27 from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. is Earth Hour, when hundreds of millions of people from around the world will turn out their lights and unplug appliances. In 2009, over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off during Earth Hour to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative (EarthHour.org). This event gives people the chance to reflect on their personal energy usage and the large impact we can make on the environment with conserving energy for just one hour. Toronto, Canada managed to save 900 megawatt-hours of electricity, which is a 8.7% decrease if measured against a typical March Saturday night (Wikipedia).Just remember, small changes can make a big difference! You can follow these tips every day to be sustainable every day:
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones.
- Recycle paper and plastic, instead of using the trash.
- Read news online, instead of buying paper copies.
- Grow vegetables during the summer.
- Bicycle or walk to work or to run errands instead of driving.
- Take the bus or train, instead of driving long distances.
- Unplug appliances when they are not in use.
- Lower the thermostat to cut back on heating during the winter.
- Insulate and eliminate drafts to get the most out of your heating and cooling.
- Plant a tree to help filter your air and to provide shade.
No comments:
Post a Comment