Happy Earth Day Adventure Travellers

Today is April 22, 2009, which is Earth Day. April is Earth Month, dedicated to reducing our Eco-footprint on the planet. If you ever wonder how much resources we each consume, Eco-footprinting is the amount of resources your lifestyle uses up. In the spirit of Earth Day, here a few things we can all do to become greener and reduce the amount of resources we consume.

Reducing car emissions

Until we have an affordable automobile that no longer uses fossil fuels, reducing the amount of carbon emissions from your vehicle is essential. If the opportunity is there to ride a bike, walk or use public transportation, go for it. If driving is a must, make sure that your vehicle is maintained properly. Simply keeping your tire pressure at the proper levels will reduce your fuel consumption by 5%. Also stick to the posted speed limit, speeders on average use up 25% more fuel so make sure to give yourself enough time to get to your destination.

Give up bottled water.

It is safe to say western Civilization consumes a lot of bottled water. Plastic is a petroleum based product so it is biodegradable; however, it takes about 100 years or so to decompose. If you have access to clean, safe tap water like most of us do, drink more tap water.

Reduce Your Heating Bill

Most of us use a lot of energy to heat and cool our homes. Most often, the majority of a homes heat is lost due to improper insulation. Take some time to make sure your house is properly insulated. It is also recommended to install a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature. If its summer time and the sun is scorching hot, try to cool your home by installing sealing fans rather than using an air conditioner. Sealing fans can cool your home just as effectively and you'll save a bundle on your next electric bill.

Heres something to try this summer to make sure your gardens stay hydrated. Rather than using water straight from the tap, try collecting rain water in a barrel and reuse it to water your gardens. This method will help reducing the amount of water we use.

In celebration of Earth Day, lets commit ourselves to becoming greener by reducing our Eco-footprint, the planet will thank us in the long run.

Happy Earth day!

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