Earth Day 2014: Ways to Celebrate
Earth Day is coming up next week! In 1970 April 22nd was established by former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Melson and has since been known as an annual holiday to celebrate our unique planet with environmentally conscious decisions. Next Tuesday we encourage everyone to find the time to get outside and appreciate the outdoors. While you’re at it, here’s a few things you can do to be more environmentally responsible!
1. Change Your Commute
Alabama, Birmingham, Oak Mountain State Park, mountain bicycles, wild flowers,
Next Tuesday is a great day to change up your schedule by altering your commute. Biking, walking, taking public transportation, or setting up a carpool system with co-workers are all responsible ways to be environmentally kind. These transportation options may not be as fast and time efficient but they are certainly more energy efficient. It’s a simple and fun way to drastically reduce your carbon footprint! By biking or walking you’ll even be multitasking by soaking up some vitamin-D and getting in your daily exercise.
2. EEBA Conferences:
InSoFast has had the pleasure of participating as a National Education Partner in the Energy & Environmental Building Alliances yearlong Houses That Work Program. The program delivers affordable and informative educational sessions “to manifest sustainable and responsible building principles in the design, marketing, and execution of the building process”.
From September 23-25th they will be hosting their annual Excellence in Building Expo. This expo “offers countless resources, educational seminars, expert presenters and hands-on tours to help builders tap into profit-building possibilities.” It’s a great meeting place for green builders to come together and develop solutions to energy efficiency and building science. If you sign up for the Expo on Earth Day you will receive a $175 discount off of the full conference registration. Quite the deal! Since EEBA’s mission is to create ‘a world where everyone can live in a healthy, safe, durable, energy efficient home’ we think participating in any of their events would be a fabulous way to celebrate Earth Day this year.
3. Save Energy
Do a little research and see what energy options are available in your area. Energy companies often offer programs which allow you to choose renewable energy options like solar and wind power to power your home. Your energy bills may increase a bit, but going green is cheaper than you may think. It’s also easy to counteract the influx in energy bills by making your home more energy efficient. Insulating your home and updating windows can reduce your energy bills in half.
4. Get Outside and Plant a Tree
April 22nd is the perfect spring day to get outside and garden! Make it a project with the kids to plant a few trees. They will be able to watch the process of the trees growth, plus you can teach them all about how planting trees reduces their carbon footprint.
Have a wonderful Earth Day! Get outdoors and celebrate energy efficiency.
