Millions of people all over the world took part in Earth Hour on the 26th of March and with Earth Day fast approaching in just over three weeks, now is the time to do your part for the environment.
Also, in recognition of the power of millions of individual actions, Earth Day 2011 will be organised around “A Billion Acts of Green,” which involves personal and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably. It is the largest environmental service campaign in the world and inspires and rewards simple individual acts and larger corporate initiatives that aim to reduce carbon emissions and support sustainability. The goal is to register one billion actions in advance of the Earth Summit in Rio in 2012.
There are many things that we can do everyday to reduce carbon emissions and save energy. For example by turning off the lights when we leave the room or by switching off the television or computer when not in use. We can also save water by turning it off when brushing our teeth or by hanging the clothes on the line (weather permitting!) instead of putting them straight into the dryer.
Most households now recycle, however glass bottles, cans, paper and plastic are not the only things that we can recycle. Another great way to reduce, reuse and recycle is to bring your old clothes, shoes or old toys to the local charity shop.
Also, food leftovers do not have to be thrown into the bin and instead you can put the vegetable waste onto the compost heap, to be used as food for the garden plants or if indeed for a vegetable garden.
Various schemes have been introduced by the government in recent years to cut down on energy consumption for school runs or those dreaded commutes to work. An increasing number of people are using car pools or public transport and children are being encouraged to cycle or walk to school, which not only promotes healthy living, but also increases environmental awareness and cuts down on fuel consumption.
None of the above ideas are revolutionary however they all play their part in helping to increase environmental awareness and cut down on energy consumption. So head on over to their website to register your Act of Green.