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 More tips coming really soon!
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What have you done today to preserve Mother Earth?WHAT CAN I DO AT HOME? |
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Cleaning your dryer's lint filter can slash its energy usage by as much as 30%!
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GLOBAL WARMING Global warming is when the earth's surface heats up producing a change in global temperatures. It is produced by the greenhouse effect. Higher temperatures have very dangerous consequences like massive drought, spread of disease, floods, lost ecosystems and extinction of species. Global warming's effects have already begun. The average surface temperature of earth has increased more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900 and in the last 30 years, the rate of warming equals the one from the whole last century! In other words, it just took us 30 years to warm this planet as much as other generations did in 100 years. The 21st century could see temperatures rise 3 to 8 degrees.
The greenhouse effect is a natural process in which certain gases in the atmosphere (water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide) let the sun rays in but not completely out, trapping energy from the sun that warms up the earth. This energy reaches the surface of the earth and some is absorbed by it and at least 30% is released back through the atmosphere. This is actually a benefitial process for us because without these gases, heat would escape back into space and the planet's average temperature would be at least 54 degrees F colder than it is right now. The problem is that with the industrial revolution, humans are producing too many gases and way too fast, so the thicker the cloud, the less heat can escape and the warmer the planet gets! Cars, factories, cattle, planes, deforestation and overpopulation contribute to this problem.
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Recycle Your Cell Phone
When you are finished with your cell phone, make sure it gets disposed of properly.
The average lifespan for a cell phone is a brief 18 months, and currently, only 1% are recycled. On average, 130 million are retired annually in the U.S. alone.
Yet almost all cell phones contain enough lead to qualify as hazardous waste under federal regulations. And even lead-free phones are considered hazardous under California regulations because of the high amounts of copper, nickel, antimony and zinc that leach into landfills.
So do something good for the environment and recycle your old phone.
Here are 4 places that accept them (and will make a contribution to charity):
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Conserve water
The animal industry consumes massive amounts of resources and produces massive amounts of waste. Cows excrete tons of methane, a greenhouse gas. Runoff from factory farms finds its way into waterways.