INTERNATIONAL EARTH DAY 2010

10 Things You Can do to Care for the Earth
1. Plan car trips ahead of time
If you are like most people who live in their car, take
stock of the number of unnecessary trips you make in a
given week. Plan your errands, meetings, pick-ups and
routes ahead of time in order to cut back on your
contribution to CO2 car emissions and gas use.
Catholic Social teaching calls us to take responsibility for our use and care of the earth. The
decisions we make can make a positive difference by heeding the call to be better stewards and
care about our impact on the earth. Global climate change hasbeen a major topic in the public
spotlight these days. While everyone from scientists to politicians are joining forces to address
this reality, there are numerous simple things each one of us can do to make a difference.
4. Look for the Energy Star
When making purchases of new appliances, check to
see that they are carrying the Energy Star symbol
indicating that they are designed to be more energy
efficient than other models. Appliances with this label
not only use less power but can also greatly reduce
your energy bill.
2. Use Earth-friendly cleaners
The products that you use to clean your home may
actually be harmful for the earth, containing damaging
chemicals and upsetting the ecological balance. Seek
“green” cleaning products that are biodegradable and
designed with the earth in mind.
3. Use your bike
More and more cities are jumping on the bandwagon of
cutting gas emissions by promoting bike paths for
commuters. Consider using your bike to get to or from
work, or if that is impractical, consider increasing bike
use on the weekends to make those shorter trips to the
store, The earth will benefit and so will your overall
health.
5. Plant extra veggies
As the gardening season gets underway, consider
adding an extra plot of vegetables to provide fresh
produce for a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter.
The garden will be bountiful and others will reap what
you sow.
6. Conserve Water
Water tends to be something we take for granted, but it
is quickly becoming one of the precious resources of
the earth that needs our care and conservation. Be
more mindful of unnecessary water use and don’t leave
the faucet running.
7. Change your light bulbs
One significant place to curb energy use is in the light
bulb socket. Compact florescent light bulbs (CPL) are
the newest way a small purchase can make a big
change. These spiral shaped bulbs may cost more, but
they use one-fourth the energy and can be found
anywhere light bulbs are sold.
8. Hang a Clothes line
This may sound like a return to the 1950’s but using a
clothes line instead of your heated dryer can cut back
drastically on energy use. Additional benefits include
that fresh clothesline scent and a smaller electric bill.
9. Consume less, Share more
Unbridled consumption is part of the dynamic putting an
increased demand on the need for energy and fuels.
Assess your own buying habits and consumerist
tendencies cut back where you can, sharing unused or
unneeded items with others. As the saying goes, “Have
less, be more.”
10. Support a local farmer
Most of the food we eat travels hundreds and sometimes
even thousands of miles to reach our grocery
stores and markets. Do your part to reduce our dependency
on oil and fossil fuels and buy locally from a
farmer in your region. Find a farmers market in your
area through the internet or yellow pages