Monday, March 30, 2009

Turn an hour into a year

We've shown that, worldwide, we are capable of coming together for one hour to help save our world.

Now we need to take those actions and turn them into lifelong habits. Here's a look a some things we can do daily in our lives.

FOR EARTH HOUR YOU: Take a moonlight walk around your neighbourhood.

The rest of the year: Walk more often to the store instead of driving. Get your bike, scooter or roller blades out and use those as your means of transportation instead of your car.

FOR EARTH HOUR YOU: Cook a dinner with only local foods.

The rest of the year: Shop more at local markets that sell foods from your area. Support restaurants that use locally grown produce.

Plant your own vegetable garden. Buy seasonal local fruits and vegetables in bulk and learn how to can them.

For Earth Hour you: Turn your lights out for an hour.

The rest of the year: Always turn your lights off when you leave a room. Light your house front with solar-powered lights. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent ones (CFLs). Compact fluorescents use four times less energy and last eight times longer (8,000 hours instead of 1,000) than incandescent light bulbs. Clever use of reflectors and directional lamps will get the light to where you need it and save energy costs.

FOR EARTH HOUR YOU: Turn your TV/computer off and read a book.

The rest of the year: How often is your TV or computer on and no one is using it? Make a conscious effort to turn them off when not in use. Cut down electrical usage by watching less TV and reading more books, magazines or newspapers. Check out some used book stores for good deals. Sell your used books in a garage sale.

FOR EARTH HOUR YOU: Enjoy a candlelight dinner.

The rest of the year: Have a weekly candlelight dinner. Or enjoy candlelight baths. Invite friends over and use candles for ambience. Tell spooky ghost stories by candlelight. Outside, use candles on your patio in the summer instead of lights.

We can make everyday a little bit of Earth Hour.

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