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Earth Saving News > February 5, 2009

Green_home Greening your home = more green in your wallet
When times are tough, it’s good to know that there are options for greening our lifestyles that can actually offer us cash back.  While many of you are putting off home improvements due to the economy you may still want to consider renovations that will make your home more energy efficient in 2009.  Tax credits are being offered for residential energy efficient home improvement products including windows, doors, roofs, insulation, HVAC, and non-solar water heaters.  And if you’re building a new home, you can qualify for the tax credit for photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind systems and fuel cells.  

There’s also a new tax credit for Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, starting at $2,500 and capped at $7,500 for cars and trucks. The first 250,000 vehicles sold get the full tax credit and then it will phase out like the hybrid vehicle tax credits.

Want more ideas to make your home energy efficient?  Get inspired by the remodeling project done on the founder of Rocky Mountain Institute’s own home, and then visit our green tips section for some easy, do-it-yourself tips.

 Investing in our children
Kids_glassesgifKids spends nearly half their waking hours at school! That’s why EarthShare and its member charities think it’s important to make sure those places are healthy environments that also offer ways to get the younger generation involved in caring for our planet. Earth Day Network partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council and The Clinton Foundation in 2007 to achieve the goal of greening every K-12 school in the U.S. within a generation. According to Earth Day Network, a green school utilizes 33% less energy and 32% less water on average than a traditionally designed school, which equals enough savings to hire one additional full-time teacher! With nearly 60 million children attending school, greening our schools will improve the daily lives of 1 in 5 Americans. Find out more about why green schools make sense here and here. Want to help bring a green curriculum to your school? Encourage your school’s teachers to sign up for Earth Day Network’s Educator’s Network – it’s free!

Dive into the Blue
Google_earth_oceans Now you can swim with the fishes thanks to a cool new virtual experience brought to you by the folks at Google! With help from the Ocean Conservancy and other partners, Google is offering you an online way to see the world and star in your own ocean exploration tour. Google Earth’s new oceans feature lets you follow Jacques Cousteau on a historic dive, view educational videos, record and share your own journey, and even add soundtrack or narration. You can also track environmental impact issues like suburban sprawl, melting ice caps, coastal erosion, and more.

If you care about what you see during your virtual dive, why not get involved in the Blue Vision Summit ocean event taking place this March in the nation’s capitol? The event is being co-sponsored by several EarthShare member charities – including Surfrider Foundation-D.C., Oceana, The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, and others – and will involve hundreds of scientists, sailors, surfers, fishermen, maritime workers, businesses, educators, kids and others who care about the future of our oceans. If you can’t make the summit, you can join the cause on Facebook, too!

A Valentine for the Earth
 If you’re planning to woo your sweetheart with a present this February 14, consider buying your gift through the online Nonprofit Shopping Mall -- your purchases can help EarthShare. (You’ll also be saving yourself a car trip!) Just use our dedicated link to pick gifts from 225 major retail brands at the same prices you’d normally pay. The retailers determine what percentage of each online sale will go to benefit EarthShare; those amounts are noted underneath each retailer's logo. It’s a no brainer, and we appreciate your support!

Want to pop the question this Valentine’s Day?
Ren_diamond Show your commitment to your future together by considering an eco-friendly Gemesis diamond -- a beautiful earth-friendly alternative to traditionally mined diamonds. She’ll be impressed with your style savvy, too, because these fancy diamonds come in colors like yellow and blue. You’ll have the peace of mind that comes with buying a conflict- free diamond made in a socially responsible manner, and your purchase will help support EarthShare.

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