In celebration of my favorite planet, I’d like to open the comments up to any and all Earth Day hacks, links and activities. Think of it as an opportunity to quickly catalog a list of ideas and tools that can be used for the other 364 days of the year.
Here are a few simple things that you can do tomorrow. I figure it’s as good a day as any to start forming a few practical habits, so for my list, I just chose a number of things that you can easily make a regular part of your day.
- Bike to work. If you need to find a route, citybikemap.com is a good user contributed resource
- Compost the garbage. If you don’t have a composter, here are some construction ideas from Instructables: Sinmple Pentagon Composter; Mini Wooden Portable Compost Bin; Trench Composter
- Avoid the purchase of anything with excess packaging
- Turn lights off when not in use. Convert remaining incandescent bulbs to CFL
- Check faucets and toilets for leaky valves. For your toilets, shut off the water while you are at work and see if the water level goes down in the tank. It’s a common problem that’s easy to fix.
- Print no emails.
- Bring a mug to work and use it instead of styrofoam or paper cups.
- Reconnect with nature: start a garden; go for a hike; take the kids out and identify some plants and birds.
- Reclaim some of the yard for native plants and grasses.
- Encourage others to do the same, and share your own Earth-friendly tips and hacks.
You may be more or less ambitious, but I think this represents something that’s feasible for much of the year. It’d be cool to get a read on what the hacker community is doing to make a positive impact on the globe, so make sure to post your own Earth Day hacks and resolutions in the comments.
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