10 Things You Can Do to Help Save the Earth.

There are many simple things you can do to help Mother Nature.
Going green is easier than you think. There are little things you can do every day to help reduce greenhouse gases and make a
less harmful impact on the environment. Taking care of the Earth is not just a responsibility -- it's a privilege. In that spirit,
HowStuffWorks came up with 10 things you can do to help save the Earth.
1. Pay attention to how you use water. The little things can make a big difference. Every time you turn off the water while you're
brushing your teeth, you're doing something good. Got a leaky toilet? You might be wasting 200 gallons (757 liters) of water a day
[source: EPA]. Try drinking tap water instead of bottled water, so you aren't wasting all that packaging as well. Wash your clothes
in cold water when you can.
2. Leave your car at home. If you can stay off the road just two days a week, you'll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average
of 1,590 pounds (721 kilograms) per year [source: EPA]. Combine your errands -- hit the post office, grocery store and shoe repair
place in one trip. It will save you gas and time.
3. Walk or ride your bike to work, school and anywhere you can. You can reduce greenhouse gases while burning some calories and
improving your health. If you can't walk or bike, use mass transit or carpool. Every car not on the road makes a difference.
4. Recycle.You can help reduce pollution just by putting that soda can in a different bin. If you're trying to choose between two
products, pick the one with the least packaging. If an office building of 7,000 workers recycled all of its office paper waste for a
year, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 400 cars off the road [source: EPA].
5. Compost. Think about how much trash you make in a year. Reducing the amount of solid waste you produce in a year means
taking up less space in landfills, so your tax dollars can work somewhere else. Plus, compost makes a great natural
fertilizer. Composting is easier than you think.
Save the Earth -- Energy and Driving Tips.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use a lot less energy than regular lightblubs
6. Change your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than a standard bulband use at least two-
thirds less energy. If you're shopping for new appliances or even home electronics, look for ENERGY STAR products, which have
met EPA and U.S. Department of Energy guidelines for energy efficiency. As of December 2013, ENERGY STAR had helped families
and businesses to save an estimated $295 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.3 billion tons (2.1 billion metric tons)
of greenhouse gas emissions from being released over the past two decades [source: ENERGY STAR]. (Learn more about
proper disposal of CFLs.)
7. Make your home more energy efficient (and save money). Clean your air filters so your system doesn't have to work overtime.
Get a programmable thermostat so you aren't wasting energy when you aren't home. When you go to bed, reduce the thermostat
setting -- you won't miss those extra degrees of heat or air conditioning while you're asleep.
8. Maintain your car. Underinflated tires decrease fuel economy by up to 3 percent and lead to increased pollution and higher
greenhouse gas emissions [source: EPA]. Underinflation also increases tire wear, so it will save you money in the long run if you're
good about checking your tire pressure.
9. Drive smarter. Slow down -- driving 60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour instead of 70 mph on the highway will save you up 4 miles
(6 kilometers) per gallon [source: Consumer Guide Automotive]. Accelerating and braking too hard can actually reduce your fuel
economy, so take it easy on the brakes and gas pedal.
10.Turn off lights when you're not in the room and unplug appliances when you're not using them. It only takes a second to be
environmentally conscious.
50 easy ways to save the planet
You don't have to share the bath water to make a difference you don't have to share the bath water to make a difference
1 Wrap gifts in fabric and tie with ribbon; both are reusable and prettier than paper and sticky-tape.
2 Start a compost heap to reduce the waste you send to landfill sites.
3 Buy your own hive: without bees the planet would last for only 60 years (and honey is good for your health).
4 Use a nappy washing service: they use 32% less energy and 41% less water than home washing.
5 Slow down. Driving at 50mph uses 25% less fuel than 70mph.
6 Wash your clothes with your flatmates' instead of wasting water on half-empty loads.
7 Turn down your central heating and put on a jumper.
8 Take a brisk shower, not a leisurely bath, to save water.
9 Hold a Tupperware party. Airtight food containers can be reused; sandwich bags and plastic wrap cannot.
10 Choose energy-efficient appliances when you replace old ones.
11 Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs. They last eight times as long and use a fraction of the energy.
12 Join a library instead of buying books.
13 Get to know your neighbours; they are more likely to keep your home safe than energy-guzzling security lamps.
14 Recycle your car oil at a recycling depot or petrol station; it contains lead, nickel and cadmium.
15 Get on your bike instead of driving.
16 Let them carry you off in a biodegradable cardboard coffin, saving trees.
17 Use low-phosphate washing-up liquid and washing powder. Phosphates stimulate algal growth when discharged into the
water supply, lowering oxygen levels and killing plants and fish.
18 Buy local, or better still, grow your own food, so energy is not wasted on transportation.
19 Raise your glass to organic beer; conventionally grown hops are sprayed up to a dozen times a year.
20 Use recycling facilities. If there aren't any, ask your council for them.
21 Ditch the air-conditioner and buy an aspidistra; plants help cut pollution.
22 Take the plunge and move in with your partner so you light and heat one home rather than two.
23 Give a colleague a lift to work; if no one is going your way, join a car-share scheme to find a passenger. (carpool)
24 Cook for friends. Large quantities of food use less packaging than the same quantity in individual portions (and take less
energy to cook).
25 Copy ministers by holidaying in Britain (but unlike them, skip the follow-up trip to Tuscany).
26 Give your garden a good breakfast; coffee grounds and eggshells are ideal for composting.
27 Refuse plastic carrier bags, or at least reuse them. Cloth bags are better.

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28 Donate your leftover paint to a community project; Britons fail to use 6.2m litres of the paint they buy each year.
29 Drink tap or filtered water, not bottled.
30 Invest in a washing line; tumble dryers devour electricity.
31 Buy chocolates from proper chocolate stores, so they are not individually wrapped.
32 Turn off TVs and stereos instead of switching them to standby.
33 Lighten up: paint your walls a pale colour, so you need less artificial light.
34 Only flush toilets if really needed; follow the Australian maxim: "If it's yellow that's mellow, if it's brown flush it down."
35 Improve the ambience and dine by candlelight, saving electricity.
36 Insulate your home. Cavity wall insulation can cut heat loss through the wall by up to 60%.
37 Buy from companies with eco-friendly policies; boycott those without.
38 Soak up the sun; even in Britain, solar panels can produce a surprising amount of energy.
39 Clean the back of your fridge. Dusty coils can increase energy consumption by 30%.
40 Avoid air travel; it produces three times more carbon dioxide per passenger than rail.
41 Pretend Christmas has come early; turkey is more likely than chicken to be produced in the UK, while British-grown brussel
sprouts require less transport than Kenyan mangetout.
42 Grow plants to give to friends instead of cut flowers.
43 Choose a car with a 3-way catalytic converter, to reduce nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons emissions by 90%.
44 Ban blinds. Heavy curtains keep in more heat in winter.
45 Change materials as well as rooms; MDF and chipboard release formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Buy sustainably produced wood
instead.
46 Cut up the plastic rings from packs of beer; they are invisible in water so wildlife can choke on them or trap themselves.
47 Bring a mug to the office instead of using polystyrene cups.
48 Snap up a 36-exposure film instead of 24, reducing waste from packaging and processing.
49 Cancel that expensive gym membership and walk to work instead.
50 Buy less. Save time and money as well as the planet.
4 Ways Technology Will Save Planet Earth. Going green with one tech invention after another...
Scientists state that the “sixth mass extension” has been triggered. In fact, this extension is estimated to be faster than the extension
that killed dinosaurs 65 million years ago. While technology is helping us stay connected, save lives and develop the world, there’s
also hope for using tech to save planet earth. Here are some phenomenal examples of how technology is helping the environment.
Save Planet Earth: Technology for Earth Day
New advancements are helping the world in ways we’ve only imagined…
1) Give Plastic a Fresh Look
Plastic is found and used in many things. It contains harmful chemicals and doesn’t biodegrade, yet we continue to see it
everywhere. With few solutions to properly dispose of it, plastic is damaging the environment and our planet.
One example is plastic cutlery. Each year, 120 billion plastic utensils are discarded in India, alone. Narayana who founded Bakeys
edible cutlery is transforming this issue. His idea is simple: Plastic cutlery is replaced with a utensil made from millet, wheat and
rice. Not only can the edible cutlery be eaten as a source of food, but it also decomposes within five days.
SOLUTION: REPLACE PLASTIC UTENSILS WITH AN EDIBLE, BIODEGRADABLE ALTERNATIVE
The online company Precious Plastic, is transforming plastic waste from the fundamental idea of reusing and recycling. They’re
providing people with the tools they need to become their own “plastic craftsman.” With the vision to make anything out of this
precious material that is currently wasted, Precious Plastic aims to “turn plastic waste into something valuable.” Genius. Even if
you’re not looking to start your own plastic business, why not spread the idea, for someone who might just create value from plastic
waste.
SOLUTION: MAKE SOMETHING VALUABLE FROM PLASTIC
2) Experience the Earth’s Natural Treasures Virtually
Technology is booming, and as VR is becoming more affordable as an industry, there are many uses that were only dreamed about.
VR shuts out the world around you so you can completely become immersed in a new environment. Give virtual tourism a try:
Experience the feelings of wanderlust from a chair and feel like you’re in these beautiful landscapes even if they’re off-limit to
tourists in real life or just too dangerous. What a better way to save planet earth than by looking at it rather than touching or
trampling it.
SOLUTION: TRAVEL VIRTUALLY TO SAVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Related Read: How Environmental Technology is Helping the Earth
3) Monitor Wildlife Conservation with Drones
Drones have the potential to be used for many things, and they’re gaining popularity for different uses, from taking
photos to delivering packages. As a way to quickly find and source information without harming the natural environment below
them, drones are also being used to track and observe wildlife:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has monitored health data from Sperm whales
The International Anti-Poaching Foundation has prevented poachers from killing wildlife
The World Wildlife Fund have observed the movements of endangered wildlife to prevent wildlife crime
While this technology is still fairly new, the opportunities it creates are an amazing way to protect endangered species and save
planet earth.
SOLUTION: MOVE CONSERVATION SURVEILLANCE TO THE SKY
4) Contribute to Environmental Research
Crowdsourcing is a valuable way to advance information and the environment is no exception. Online platforms are a great way
for anyone to add their opinion and help with scientific research. The best part here, you don’t even need to be an expert to save
planet earth, all you need is a computer and you’re on your way! Take action with Zooniverse, a people-powered research platform.
Answer questions, learn something new and contribute to the understanding of our world. Covering 21 topics, from history to space
to nature, there’s something for everyone. Discover the fossils of Lake Turkana in Kenyaor spy on penguins, the discoveries are
endless.