I have been hearing all the commotion about going green and save the planet. I guess I really didn’t pay attention to all of it until I realized the potential we humans could achieve. We only have one earth and we really should take care of it!

Want to know some of the reasons it is imperative to be green?

It’s the alternative to going brown!

Makes us less dependent on other countries.

If everyone recycled the way I do, we would only need one trash pick up a month.

It helps the environment and your surroundings.

Okay, I think you are starting to see what I am talking about, huh? Our earth was given to us in great shape, are you doing your part to keep it green?

If you are coming up with a blank when you think "what can I do", then I am going to tell you at least ten steps for primping our earth and going green.

Use Less Water!

Load up the washing machine and dishwasher before running them.

Take shorter showers.

Planting native drought-resistant plants. These require less frequent watering.

Use a micro-irrigation system to water your plants. This creates a mist and allows for the roots to soak up more of the water.

Collect Water.

Use a rain barrel to collect rain water to water your plants.

Up and Down Thermostat.

Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer. This saves energy and money!

Turn Them Off!

Turn off the lights when you are going to be out of the room for more than 10 minutes.

Try unplugging appliances when they are not in use, or install "smart" power strips that sense when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" energy use.

Switch Your Bulbs!

Switch your regular light bulbs to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). CFLs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer!

Filter It!

Instead of buying bottled water, use filtered water to fill reusable bottles. This reduces container waster.

Compost Now!

Use a composter or compost pile to turn your food and lawn wastes into rich wonderful growth mulch. Contact your local extension office to find out the how to’s on composting.

Reuse It!

Take reusable shopping bag, they are the current fad. Most of the grocery stores sell them for only $1. These are so much easier and all that plastic will not clog up our landfills.

Buy Local.

Buying locally grown food reduces transportation pollution and helps your local economy!

Use Less Gas.

Carpool with coworkers or take the bus to work whenever it is possible.

Walk or ride your bicycle, get your daily exercise also!

If you can’t ride your bike or carpool to work, face it some can’t, here are a few more ways to help us all save gasoline:

Checking and keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure.

Keep your oil checked and changed on schedule and always make sure the filter is clean.

Step on the gas and brake pedals carefully.

Drive at the proper or near the speed limit.

Like I mentioned earlier, this is the only earth we are going to get, we must take good care of it! Get involved and hold some seminars on Tree Planting, Fertilizer Education, Landscaping, Micro-irrigation. Help plan some field trips for Kayaking, Nature Walks or Birding Walks.

Don’t forget to get the kids involved, teach them young and going green will become second nature to them! Do some activities such as movie night, showing Disney’s EARTH! Or schedule a time for a group to Build Birdhouses! You see, if each of us does their part, we will keep this great planet of ours GREEN for many years to come.