Ways to Help Our Planet, Wallet, and Health

Earth Day weekend has come and gone. However, for all of us, it should be the beginning of learning how we can help our planet, wallet, and health. Below are listed some ways to put us on the right track.

* Unplug your charger cord to the cell phone. The cord will continue to draw electricity even when it is not in use. This will save you money and the planet greenhouse gases.

* Use a draft stopper on the bottom of your doors. This will help keep the heat or AC in your house.

* Only run the dishwasher when it is full. In addition, open the dishwasher to allow the dishes to air-dry instead of using the dry cycle on the dishwasher.

* When running errands, plan your trip geographically to save fuel. Do all your errands on one side of town before continuing on to the other side to complete them. Also, keep your vehicle maintained and drive at a moderate speed.

* Take your own re-usable shopping bags with you. Some stores even reward customers for doing this. If you cannot take your own shopping bag, at least recycle your plastic ones.

* Some dry clean only clothes can be washed by hand. If not, find a dry cleaner that does not use harsh chemicals that will harm the environment.

* Check the origin labels on raw food. The further food has to travel, the less ripe it will be in addition to the extra carbon emissions while traveling.

* Take your own coffee mug to the coffee shop and your place of work.

* Make scrap paper out of paper already printed on. Place a tray by the printer, print on both sides of the paper, and recycle any leftovers. In addition, by purchasing recycled paper, you will use ninety percent less water and fifty percent less energy.

* Take your ink cartridges somewhere like Stapes or Dell, etc. and have them refilled. You can do this about four times per cartridge. This can save up to ninety percent of the cost of a new one.

* Pledge a tree or plant a tree, depending on your situation. There are many areas that are in need of new tree plants. Check your community, or go online to find the best way to help.

By making a conscious effort to learn more about our planet, we can take great pride in our efforts to save it.