As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, The Nature Conservancy urges people to think beyond shamrocks, leprechauns and green beer — and to think green about our environment. You’ll save some “green,” too by following these energy-saving tips.
- Go native. Replace part of your lawn with native plants and trees that support and attract butterflies, bees and birds. A tree that shades your house also saves on energy bills.
- Decrease chemical dependency. Limit your use of fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides; they wind up in our drinking water and in our harbors and bays.
- Consider composting. Instead of spending money on chemical fertilizers, use what you have — compost! Recycling vegetable and fruit scraps is a natural way to grow your garden.
- See the light. Change light bulbs to compact fluorescents -they save energy and money!
- Bag the bag. Plastic bags are passé! Use re-usable bags at the grocery store. Most stores will give you a few pennies back on each bag which does add up!
- Turn down the heat. Heating and air conditioning draw half the energy a home uses. Turn down the heat and A/C when you leave the house or turn in for the night.
- Recycle and use recycled products. Recycled products require less energy to make than products made from completely new materials.
- Inflate your tires. Proper inflation of tires means better gas mileage, saving you cash!
- Buy renewable energy. A long-term investment for your home or business, solar and wind energy decreases energy-dependence.
- Speak out. Voicing your opinion is free – raise environmental concerns to lawmakers. Tell them you want healthy and thriving forests, wetlands, bays, parks and open spaces.
Courtesy of The Nature Conservancy.
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