ÔEARTH
DAY 2007Õ
This
April 22nd will mark the 27th anniversary of earth day.
Founded in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, it was proposed to shake up the
political establishment and force the issues.
A
lot has changed since those days of leaded gas and massive V8 sedans, but the
need for extensive change does not stop there and becomes more urgent with
every passing day. As the earth burgeons under the weight of overpopulation we
must learn to further scale down our consumptive diet for better, bigger and
more.
I
could continue to write and stand on my soapbox, but instead I will just list
some facts for your consideration and politely ask that the next time you think
about throwing something away or using resources that could be spared- please,
think twice.
Earth
Day network Reality Check
177
billion- Number of dollars US consumers saved in 2005 with automobile
efficiency since 1973.
13.1
billion- number of gallons of gasoline saved if every American converted to one
of the four most efficient cars in each class.
8
billion-Number of dollars US consumers lose daily in idle electronic functions
such as lit display clocks, memory chips, and remote control functions.
495
million- numbers of dollars US consumers spend on gasoline every day.
550,000-Number
of trees saved if all the newspaper in the US was recycled on one average
Sunday.
22,000-Number
of pounds of C02 released by the average household each year
2020-
the year that Mt. KilimanjaroÕs glaciers will be completely gone
50-
number of years it will take for the Greenland ice sheet to be completely
eliminated at the current rate of emissions raising sea levels as much as 3-9
feet.
30-Number
of dollars saved in energy cost for every light bulb replaced with an energy
star bulb
20—percentage
of total heat lost in a typical home because of poor sealing and insulation.
9-percentage
of species facing extinction because of global climate change
3-
percentage saved on the average heating bill for every degree a household
lowers its thermostat in the winter. On the average midwestern heating bill of
$200/ month or $1,000 a year this represents a savings of $30 per degree. Lower
your thermostat just three degrees and you save around $90.
All
of these changes may seem small and insignificant but put together in a bigger
picture it can add up to huge savings and changes. Bottom line- with a little
commons sense and a conscious awareness of our energy habits we all stand to
gain. If you would like to read more about Earth Day, learn more energy/money
saving tips, or be more involved go to www.earthday.net.
Till next time, Rebecca