2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
Earth Day 2008
Not just for hippies
Amy Salisbury
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Features
With "going green" as the newest trend, there are certainly plenty of opportunities to get involved this Earth Day. The government has stepped up environmental awareness, presenting a whole host of ways to promote cleaner air with a public education group called "It All Adds Up." The group's focus is on ways that communities can reduce air pollutants through more conscientious commuting. "It All Adds Up" offers tips for dropping individual pollutant production from autos. By simply keeping a car's tires properly inflated, fuel use can decrease by up to 18 gallons a year. Getting regular tune-ups is also essential; a well-maintained car will produce 20% less ozone emissions than one that is not.
Moreover, "reduce, reuse, recycle" may as well be Earth Day's slogan. Reduce use of disposable products by buying permanent items, and refrain from buying products that have large amounts of packaging. Reuse plastic grocery bags as trash bags, use hand towels in the kitchen rather than rolls of paper towels, and donate unwanted items to charities rather than throwing them out. Recycling is easy as our campus sets a great example of how painless the act really is. Plus, California pays consumers 5 cents per can or bottle returned to a recycling facility (in case the environment isn't incentive enough).
Earth Day has fundamentally become more of a state of mind than an observed event. With technological strides promoting the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, hybrid cars, and energy-efficient appliances, there are virtually no products that encourage harm to the environment. Even the easiest of actions make an impact: using less hot water, taking public transportation, or planting a tree.
To get involved in the San Diego area, Balboa Park hosts its 19th annual EarthFair on Sunday April 20th which provides a multitude of environmental preservation opportunities. For more information on the event and volunteer sign-ups, visit http://www.earthdayweb.org/.
Moreover, "reduce, reuse, recycle" may as well be Earth Day's slogan. Reduce use of disposable products by buying permanent items, and refrain from buying products that have large amounts of packaging. Reuse plastic grocery bags as trash bags, use hand towels in the kitchen rather than rolls of paper towels, and donate unwanted items to charities rather than throwing them out. Recycling is easy as our campus sets a great example of how painless the act really is. Plus, California pays consumers 5 cents per can or bottle returned to a recycling facility (in case the environment isn't incentive enough).
Earth Day has fundamentally become more of a state of mind than an observed event. With technological strides promoting the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs, hybrid cars, and energy-efficient appliances, there are virtually no products that encourage harm to the environment. Even the easiest of actions make an impact: using less hot water, taking public transportation, or planting a tree.
To get involved in the San Diego area, Balboa Park hosts its 19th annual EarthFair on Sunday April 20th which provides a multitude of environmental preservation opportunities. For more information on the event and volunteer sign-ups, visit http://www.earthdayweb.org/.
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