GO GREEN!

Happy 40th Earth Day!

I was mowing the lawn yesterday and came across this little guy. He was so tiny and looked somewhat like a piece of bark from a tree. Great camouflauge! I had to stop and look for awhile. I do love nature and the beauty of the earth. In fact, I would rather be outside than inside. Thanks to parents who love and appreciate the great out-of-doors, growing-up I received a healthy and happy "earth-friendly" education. The beauty of the earth brings me peace and calm in a very fast paced, crazy world. So, today, I honor Mother Earth and all her beauty, grace and miracles.

Here is a little "earth friendly" quiz for you all....(Today Show-4-21-10)

1) Do you save more water by washing dishes by hand or by washing dishes in the dishwasher?

2) Recycling a single 12 ounce aluminum soda can, could provide enough energy to power a standard laptop for how many yours? 20 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, more than 5 hours.

3) What percentage of household energy use is caused by appliances in stand-by mode? 5%, 8%, 10%, 15%

4) True or false. Every 20 minutes a distinct species of animal or plant becomes extinct.

Answers....1) a dishwasher uses about 3 gallons of water per load...less than doing a load of dishes by hand.

2) more than 5 hours.

3) 10%. This is called Vampire-load. We have so many gadgets plugged in and using energy even when our gadgets are off. You can save 10% on your energy bill each year, by using a power strip and turning off the power strip when you leave your house, go to bed, etc.

4) True

What will you do today to celebrate Earth Day?

Me, I am going to prepare the ground for our root vegetables, continue to weed and prep some very sad/ugly areas of the yard, and stay steady with my own personal challenge of using only fabric or reuseable bags for shopping or lugging things around (lunch, books, projects, etc). I think I will start all of this after I finish my cup of cocoa. It is a beautiful, but, cold Michigan morning. Brrrr!