JAM PACKED!

For my last post I am going to just give you ten easy ways to save our home!

1. Make sure your dishwasher is full, this can save 100 lbs. of CO2 a year!

2. Use recycled paper and save 5 lbs. of CO2 per paper ream!

3. Carpool all the time! Youc an save 790 lbs. of CO2 and hundreds of dollars per year!

4. Let the sun dry your clothes and use clothes lines instead of a dryer. This can save 700 lbs. of CO2 a year!

5. Save a lot of energy and bring canvas bags to the grocery store instead of using plastic bags!

6. Stop buying plastic water bottles and reuse the ones you have, us canteens!

7. Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon by putting on a sweater instead of turning the heat on high during the winter.

8. When you are done using your electronics, unplug them and save 1,000 lbs. of carbon and $256 a year!

9. Buy items with less packaging and reduce carbon emissions by 1,200 lbs. per year!

10. Plant a tree to suck up about 2,000 lbs. of carbon a year!

Mhmmm, Veggies

Wanna reduce those lousy petroleum (gas) miles? Well, find your local farmer's market! What, what exactly is a farmer's market? It's basically, a farmer's market. A place where local farmers can sell their produce. The food always tastes better because the food is so much closer to home then at your regular supermarket. If you don't know where to find one, go to localharvest.org where you can find co-ops, farmer's markets, or greengrocers near you!

What are you waiting for!!

Is it a Lipstick or a Flower?

Today I was reading about this cosmetic company, Cargo Cosmetics that just came out with a new brand of lipstick called PlantLove. Which just sounds like your lips will be the color of a red rose or something along those lines. But think again! When your done with this tube of lipstick, instead of throwing it way, simply go into your garden and PLANT THE LIPSTICK. And soon, you'll see flowers in the very same spot. This lipstick is packaged in 100% biodegradable material and the tube is a corn-based renewable resourse. To me, that sounds GENIUS!! I have a felling we will be seeing more cosmetics alike, this industry has risen 8% just this year. 

Lets all plant our old makeup?

Maybe then, I won't kill it. Or try really hard not to. 

Am I a Hypocrite?

So while reading Time Magazine today (yes, that is where I get all my information) I found that turning off your computer is one of the best thing to do to help reduce carbon emissions. While reading this article I was on Facebook and Youtube. Ah man. I feel as though I shouldn't even be talking and trying to convince others to reduce their carbon footprint, when I am not doing as much as I should. So right after I read that article I quickly turned off my computer and went do read. Then I got bored. And I had a major urge to go on Youtube, I had to slap my hand away from the keyboard. So today, instead of telling you what to do (and how to save the planet), I am going to turn off this computer. Help save the earth the old fashion way... if I only knew how...shooooot.

Get Away Plastic Bags!

Most stores we buy from use plastic bags but should the customers just go along and take them? NO. Time magazine says we use 500 billion plastic bags and only 3% of those get recycled. Sure, you can start recycling them, that's a great idea. But I have a better one, don't use plastic bags. Just keep a few canvas bags in your car and when you go the gorcery store, mall, or any store, use those instead of plastic bags. 

And if you really don't care that much about recycling. Here is another tid-bit: there is enough plastic in our oceans to fill the state of Texas. Can I say that again for emphasis? TEXAS. And I bet much of that plastic comes from those plastic bags you are carrying home. 

What About My Big Mac?!

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my dad's hamburgers. I am a total meat eater, even though I wish I wasn't for the animals sake. But now, I wish I was I was a vegetarian for our planets sake. Your maybe asking, HUH?? Well, it's actually a fact that your Big Whooper contributes more to global warming then your car. Woah. Apparently (according to TIME magazine) the meat industry generates about 18% of the worlds carbon emissions which is more than from cars. Much of the methane (a greenhouse gas other than carbon dioxide) comes from manure especially from cattle. By becoming a vegetarian (as I plan to do once my parents gets on the same track as I am on. The track of saving the world!! Ta Da!) you can reduce your "carbon footprint" by 1.5 tons of carbon a year (according to the University of Chicago). And if you buy a hybrid car, that only reduces your footprint by 1 ton.

Tasty eh?

I failed at Earth Day. What do I do?

To answer that, I will instead talk about windows. Yes, windows. In Tucson, Arizona--my home-- summer is starting to make his appearance. For me, this means finals, yearbooks, and finally the arrival of summer vacation, and I emphasize the word finally. It also means, it's getting toasty, really toast. And just like everyone, I turn on the AC in my room because my room doesn't have a vent connected to the swamp cooler. Whenever I turn on the AC, I feel extremely horrible. Why can't I just open my window? Good question. Good question. From now on I am going to try my hardest to use the air more then use the AC. Will I be able to do this? Not sure, but if any of you do, then I will.

Anyone wanna open their windows with me?

Anyone?