Recycled Paper

By using 100% post-consumer recycled printer paper, you can save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.  Don’t forget to invest in recycled paper towels and napkins as well!  Liam

No More Packing Peanuts!

Guten Tag! (P.S, that is hello in German) Dylan here! We all know when you open a package you find those little packing peanuts. These little styrofoam peanuts are virtually indestructible and can stick around for hundreds of years. They often end up in waterways and poison them. If you get a package that has packing peanuts, reuse them! Maybe you want to sell something on E-bay. A much better option for shipping is to use those inflatable air bags to protect your package. Stop the packing peanuts! This is Dylan, signing off.

Use Reusable Bags

Remind your parents to bring bags from home to the grocery store! You can buy cloth bags from the grocery store or re-use the plastic ones you have at home. Also, when buying fruits and vegetables be careful about using too much plastic – save where you can!  Liam

Shorter Showers!

Hola! Dylan here. Another way to stop global warming is to stop taking baths and take shorter showers. Short showers use less energy to heat the water. Have 3 minute showers by wetting yourelf, switching off the water while you soap all over and shampoo your hair, then turn the water back on and rinse under the shower, then turn it off. This is Dylan, signing off.

                                   

How about a Clothesline?

Air dry your clothes and save a lot of energy. Air-drying your clothes will save about 700 lbs. of CO2 and up to $75 a year. It is easy to hang your clothes on a rack and you don't have to pay for running the dryer, which can be expensive.  Liam

Why Not Plant A Tree?

Hi! Dylan here. Another way we can help stop global warming is to plant trees. Because carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas, planting trees and other plants can help to stop or slow global warming. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They use the carbon to build up tissue in their bodies. If we plant more trees, then the trees can absorb a lot of carbon dioxide, stopping global warming. A single tree will absorb a ton (thats 2,000 lb.) of carbon dioxide. So people, show your gardening skills and start planting some trees! This is Dylan, signing off.

                             

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Replace your normal light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. If you replace three bulbs it would save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide and $60 a year. If every one in the US replaced just one light bulb with a light bulb that is fluorescent, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions from about 800,000 cars.  Liam

How are your Grades?

Hi! Dylan here. Another way to prevent global warming is to request a report card from your utility company. This report card specifies locations in your house that may not be energy efficient. One energy report card can help the members of an average family reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 1,000 pounds and lower their utility bill. Best of all, most companies give these report cards to families for free so you don't have to worry about any extra costs. This is Dylan, signing off.

China goes green

My mom traveled to China for work last week.  Check out what she found when she landed at the Beijing airport!  It is impressive that the Chinese are not only encouraging people to recycle but also encouraging them to use less paper right on the paper towel dispensers in their bathrooms.  While recycling paper is very important, using less paper in the first place has an even more powerful effect on our planet in terms of reducing the consumption of our natural resources.  Liam