Earth Saving News > March 19, 2009

Make change for Earth Day: Take our April 2009 Pledge!

April 22 is Earth Day , and we want to make it easy for you to find an opportunity to make a difference. Whether you take a few minutes to stop your junk mail or spend an afternoon cleaning up a park or river in your community, every effort supports a healthier planet and people.

Take 10 minutes, a few hours, or whatever you can give, and channel your interest in a healthy environment into positive action.

If you officially pledge to do just one (or more) of our get-involved ideas for Earth Day, you’ll be eligible to win a special Earth Day gift! Or you can get started right now with these actions:

1) Host an Earth Month used electronics recycling drive at my school, workplace, church or business.

According to the U.S. EPA, discarded electronics such as cell phones, computer equipment and other items accounted for 2.5 million tons of landfill waste in 2007. Electronics, which can contain toxins like lead and mercury, need to be carefully recycled to ensure that contaminants aren’t released into the air or into groundwater.

Contact us to start your own recycling drive, or you can donate your old electronics through our online partner, MyBoneyard.com to earn a reward for yourself and EarthShare!

Whatever you do, just make sure it doesn’t end up in a landfill. Many manufacturers and retailers offer convenient take-back programs through which you can return your used items. Check your manufacturer’s website for specific information about your particular item.

2) Stop my junk mail for five years.

The average American receives 41 pounds of junk mail a year! If you take action to put an end to all that unwanted junk, you will save 1.7 trees and conserve 500 gallons of water. One way to do this is to contact the individual companies that send you unwanted catalogues and mail -- they are obligated to remove you if you ask.

Strapped for time, but still want to stop the junk? EarthShare’s partner 41pounds.org will guarantee to stop your unwanted junk mail for five years, and they'll donate 1/3 of the $41 fee to EarthShare. Take action!

3) Switch to reusable shopping bags.

Did you know that Americans throw away 100 billion plastic shopping bags per year? Since each of those bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, cutting plastic bags out of your life will make a huge difference. Follow the rule of the 3 R’s: Reduce your bag use by carrying a reusable bag, reuse plastic bags you already have, and recycle those that you no longer need.

Do you always forget your reusable bag? Consider an EarthShare Chicobag. These bags fold into a small 3x4 pouch small enough to tuck into your wallet, purse or glove compartment, ensuring you’ll always have an eco-friendly reusable bag on hand. Take action!

4) Bottle my own water.

According to the Green Guide, Americans spent nearly $11 billion on over 8 billion gallons of bottled water, and then tossed over 22 billion empty plastic bottles in the trash last year. And water from bottles may not be any safer than unfiltered tap water – it can actually be harmful! Not all plastic bottles are healthy, either. One test on 1,000 water bottles found that 20% of them contained possible neurotoxins and carcinogens.

If you’re looking to kick the bottled water habit, the best way is to go back to a simple water glass filled with filtered tap water. If you also need a safe, reusable, portable water bottle, consider a self-filtering Back to the Tap bottle, which offers a built-in filter that produces great tasting water from your faucet, and uses healthy plastic. It’s an affordable, environmentally-friendly and safe alternative to disposable bottles. Take action!

5) Volunteer with EarthShare’s member charities.

Now is the time to step up for Mother Nature, and EarthShare member groups across the country are offering fun, exciting volunteer events in your community in honor of Earth Day. If you want to help, but your find yourself strapped for time, consider participating in an event like World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour, or Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Bike to Work Week .

If you’re looking to become a volunteer champion, take a look at our new Volunteer & Events calendar and our dedicated member pages for an event in your community.

The ocean loses 6.8 million ugly pounds

The Ocean Conservancy’ s International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer effort of its kind. Results from the 2008 event are in: 390,881 volunteers in 104 countries and locations around the world collected an astonishing 6.8 million pounds of debris, the equivalent of 17 pounds for every participant.

Marine debris doesn't fall from the sky, it falls from our hands. Cigarette and smoking-related waste was the most collected type of debris, followed by plastic bags and food wrappers. Most trash makes its way from streets, parking lots and storm drains into our waters.

Learn about the ten things you can do to stop ocean debris, read Earth Island Institute’s new interview with Captain Charles Moore – discoverer of the Great Pacific Garbage patch which is twice the size of Texas! – and sign up for next year’s cleanup.

Make a difference with the flip of a switch

For the first time in history, people all over the world have the opportunity to vote via light switch by participating in Earth Hour. People from around the world will be turning off their lights this March 28 to show support for comprehensive global warming legislation.

Why will your vote make a difference? World Wildlife Fund is hoping to reach 1 billion “votes” and will present the results to the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. This international meeting will help determine official government policies affecting climate change and global warming.

Learn more about global warming and sign up now to join millions around the world in supporting this event.