“Behold, my brothers, the spring has come. The earth has received the embraces of the sun and we shall soon see the results of that love! Every seed is awakened and so has all animal life. It is through this mysterious
power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves to inhabit this land. My love of our native soil is wholly mystical.”
- Chief Sitting Bull (Tatanka Iyotaka), Hunkpapa Sioux (1831-1890)
I thought that was a pretty appropriate quote for spring!
Three very simple words – re-use, repurpose, recycle. It’s a very simple concept really. If you can remember to think green, it becomes second nature. I know it’s not always easy or convenient, but it’s crucial. And an eco-lifestyle has a lot of great perks! It can save you money!!!
Here are a few easy tips for spring:
Plant a garden – It doesn’t have to be big. You’ve heard of the success of the Stevenson garden. Our children got out there and planted vegetables and they loved it! The kids even got excited to eat raw broccoli! I wonder how many of them do that at home? Try planting something with your child – you’ll be amazed.
Laundry – About 90% of the energy used while washing clothes goes to heating the water. Try washing in cold water and hanging some clothes and linens on a clothesline in the yard. You’ll save money and your clothes will smell great! There’s nothing like getting into a clean bed with sheets that have hung on the line. It can save you as much as $70.00 a year!
Change Five light bulbs –
And help change the world. Now that it’s lighter longer, you can really make a difference on your electrical bill. Replace the conventional bulbs in your five most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars. (Amazing isn’t it?)
Heat and cool smartly –
Simple steps like cleaning air filters regularly and having your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor can save energy, money and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When it’s time to replace your old equipment, choose a high efficiency model, and make sure it is properly sized and installed.
Use water efficiently – Saving water around the home is simple. City water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to our households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. There are simple actions you can take to save water: Be smart when irrigating your lawn or landscape; set your sprinklers to water during the coolest part of the day, early morning is best. Turn the water off while shaving or brushing teeth and did you know that a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away.
Don’t use disposable bags of any kind – The chemicals used to make paper bags are almost as bad as plastic bags! Watch for the spring PTA fundraiser – they’re selling those really cool bags again and I hear that they’re even cuter than they were in the fall!
Cut back on paper towels – Use old cloth towels to mop up spills. I’ve sung Viva’s praises before – really, they’re almost always on sale at Von’s and you can rinse them and wring them out and reuse them. I’ve even accidentally washed and dried one before and it didn’t fall apart in the washer! I used it again!!! Put out a stack of small hand towels in the bathroom and a little basket for soiled ones. You’ll save a ton of money.
- 40% of trash in U.S. landfills consists of paper products.
- 30% of the timber consumed in the U.S. is used to make paper products.
We need to change that.
Remember, it is easy being green!
Jennifer Jesperson
Families for Stevenson, along with E3 – Enrichment Educational Experiences are very excited to offer a NEW Enrichment classes for winter 2010.
Families for Stevenson & North End Pizzeria are teaming up for Stevenson’s “Pizza Dough Raiser” for the 2009-2010 school year.