10 Simple Things you can do to Help Protect the Environment

1. Bring your own tote bags to the grocery store rather than getting the plastic bags they provide. Plastic bags are not biodegradable and require 430,000 gallons of oil to manufacture 100 million bags! Kick the habit of getting a bag for something you can easily carry out!   www.earthchic.com

2. Buy locally grown food, it uses less energy to get to you and is usually fresher.

3. Air dry your laundry, only run full loads in the washing machine. It can save you $135 in energy costs every year, prevent tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere, and result in less wear-and-tear on clothes.

4. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning. Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

5. Use barrels to collect rain water to water your garden and yard. www.rainbarrelguide.com

6. Reduce disposable products in your home. Use washable dishes, coffee mugs, water bottles, silverware, and napkins. It reduces the amount of waste in landfills, especially plastic that doesn’t decompose well.

7. Use only native plants and shrubs when planting. They are adapted to the area and require less water. Garden without chemicals and pesticides.

8. Recycle and buy recycled products. If your community doesn’t offer curbside, get in touch with Earth Resources---they’ll pick up! Go to http://www.earthresourcesrecycling.com/.

9. Support environmental legislation.

10. Don’t litter and if you see trash on the road pick it up, including cigarette butts!

10 Tips for Preventing Stormwater Pollution

1. Never dump anything down storm drains or into streams and report anyone who does.
2. Replant bare spots in your yard and preserve streamside vegetation.
3. Direct rooftop downspouts away from paved surfaces.
4. Take your car to a car wash or wash it on an unpaved area.
5. Check your car for leaks and recycle your motor oil and antifreeze.
6. Pick up your pet waste; it can carry harmful bacteria and parasites.
7. Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly.
8. Choose low-maintenance, native plants that require fewer chemicals and less watering and sweep up debris from driveways and sidewalks.
9. Consider alternatives to impervious surfaces such as pervious pavement, paving blocks, gravel cobbles, brick and natural stone.
10. Get a rain barrel to collect stormwater and install an approved rain garden or green roof.

http://www.greenglancy.com/10-tips-for-preventing-stormwater-pollution/