Article Contributed on: 5/1/2007 5:43:49 PM
The 2007 Mountain Area Earth Day Fair on April 21 at Evergreen Lake was a rousing success. 59 exhibitors regaled visitors with solutions to environmental problems. Saving the earth takes more than a day, so the Earth Day and Beyond Committee invites you to consider a few simple actions you can take.
*Replace your lightbulbs with energy efficient compact flourescent light bulbs (CFL's). If each household replaced just ONE bulb, it would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that from nearly 800,000 cars and would also save enough energy to light 2.5 million homes for a year. It also saves you money!
*Pull a noxious weed. Noxious weeds are the second greatest threat to wildlife habitat, surpassed only by development. Weeds choke out native vegetation and insects, reduce forage and shelter for native animals, suck up water and can even be harmful to humans. After you control your weeds, use native plants in your landscaping.
*Buy a reuseable water bottle. Plastic is made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. It is estimated that only about 12 percent of water bottles, compared to 30% for plastic soft drink bottles, are recycled.
*Buy locally produced food and goods. Not only are you supporting your neighbors but less energy is consumed by transportation of goods. For a listing of Farmer's Markets in Colorado, go to www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm.
*Pre-cycle, Recycle, Reuse. Don't buy goods that are overpackaged. Recycle everything possible. Buy products made of recycled materials.
5 simple steps to preserve the natural world for future generations.