Start your new year out right by following these simple resolutions.  They require nothing but a desire to be more green. 

For conserving water:

· Limit showers to no more than 15 minutes.

· When washing dishes, soap up all dishes with the water off, then rinse all at once, or fill your sink with water.  Do not just let it run.

· Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.

· When getting a drink of water, only take as much as you need.  There is no need to fill the glass to the top if you only need a sip.

· Only put full loads in the

· washing machine and dishwasher to conserve water. 

To conserve electricity:

· Limits the number of lights on in a room at once.  There is no need to have five lights on at once. 

· During the day, open the blinds and use the natural light instead of artificial. 

· Turn off all ceiling fans and other appliances when not in use.

· Do not leave computers on for extended periods of time, or overnight.

· Invest in fluorescent lights and other energy saving appliances. 

In your community:

· Throw trash in trashcans, and secure them to prevent them from either being blown over or invaded by nosy critters.

· When mowing your lawn, clean up the grass clipping when you are done.

· Wash your car on the grass to avoid letting all of the soap runoff into storm drains that go straight to the bay.

· Carpool whenever possible, or use alternative transportation.

· Finally, always pick paper over plastic! 

With these simple tips, you are on your way to a very green new year. 

waste Americans produce, an average ecological footprint is 24 acres per person.  However, remember to take into consideration that America is the most wasteful country in the world.  Earth provides a 4.5 acre ecological footprint for everyone on earth, and we are exceeding that limit by an average of 39%.  In America the average footprint is over 5 times the amount of space that is provided for us!  To maintain the lifestyle that most people on earth have become accustomed to, the Earth would need on average about 1/3 more space.

 

To find your own footprint, you can visit http://www.myfootprint.org/. 

 

 

 

Have you ever thought about how much of Earth’s resources a single person uses up and wastes everyday to keep up their lifestyle?  America is a notoriously wasteful country, but how much biologically productive area does an individual person actually take up?  This amount is your ecological footprint.  It can give you an idea of how much waste you produce compared to other people and how long our earth can last with so much wasting of its natural resources.

 

Our earth is only so big, about 125.8 billion acres.  According to the 2007 census, the current population on Earth is about 6,446,131,400.  To give you an idea of the amount of

 

 

 

 

You will answer a short series of simple questions about your day to day lifestyle, and then you can find out how you contribute to the waste on Earth.  You can see if you fall below or above the average American footprint and how many more Planet Earths we would need if everyone lived the same lifestyle as you.  The results will surprise you, even if you think you live a conservative lifestyle.  At the end of the short quiz, there is a link to where you can learn ways to reduce your footprint and encourage others to do the same.  You can reads more about this here.

 

How to Fulfill Those New Years Resolutions: Easy Ways to Go Green

By Cate Shermer and Beth Riley

Your Ecological Footprint

By: Elena Ficklen

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Going Simply Green