April 22nd Is Earth Day

Here are some easy things you can start doing TODAY to be healthier and help the Earth, our only home:

• Buy a compact fluorescent bulb to replace one incandescent bulb in your home. If every household in the U.S. did this, the energy saved would be enough to light 2.5 million homes for a year


• Avoid the cost and waste of bottled water-- get a reusable bottle and fill it from the tap. Bottled water can sell for up to $10 per gallon (that's more than gas!)


• Set your water heater to 130 degrees. Water heating accounts for about 13% of your utility bill


• Buy organic versions of the most pesticide-laden produce: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spimach, potatoes, carrots, green beans, hot peppers, and cucumbers. Consumers can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 90% just by avoiding or replacing these 12 fruits and vegetables


• Run your washing machine on the cold water cycle


• Unplug appliances when you're not using them-- 40% of the energy used to power electronics is used when they are plugged in but not turned on!


• Switch to less-toxic cleaning products (one line that's widely available is Clorox's Green Works)


• Pack your clean wool sweaters with lavender sachets this spring, instead of with mothballs, which contain neurotoxins and carcinogens


• Recycle your old cell phone-- leave it in the drop-off box by the Adult Circulation Desk


• Start a compost pile in your yard to reduce your garbage and create rich (and free) soil for your garden


• Recycle old sneakers. Drop them off this Saturday, April 26th at Greenwich High School between 9 A.M. and 3 P.M.


• Drive the speed limit (driving at 65 instead of 55 increases gas consumption by 20%) and keep your tires properly inflated to save gas


• Borrow books, CDs, and DVDs from the Library instead of buying them!


• Use a canvas tote bag to carry your groceries [We have tote bags for sale for $5 at the Circulation Desks]


• Donate any usable goods to thrift stores


• Recycle. Take a look at this list of how to recycle/dispose of various items in Greenwich.


• Drop off household hazardous waste like paints, solvents, cleaners, and batteries at Hazardous Waste Day-- Saturday, May 10th from 9 AM-2 PM at Greenwich High School

Check out one of these books for more suggestions on how to be greener:

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living, by Trish Riley


• Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life, by Sophie Uliano


• Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style, by Christie Matheson


• Green, Greener, Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-Smart Choices a Part of Your Life, by Lori Bongiorno


• Live an Eco-Friendly Life: Smart Ways to Get Green and Stay That Way, by Natalia Marshall,


• 365 Ways to Live Green: Your Everyday Guide to Saving the Environment, by Diane Gow McDilda

Books For Kids:

• The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming, by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon


• An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming, by Al Gore, adapted by Jane O'Connor


• Let's Recycle!, by Anne L. Mackenzie


• Let's save energy!, by Sara E. Nelson


• Let's save water! , by Sara E. Nelson