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Did you read all about the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour coming up on March 29th and get excited about what you can do to make a difference? Here are three simple things you can start with to take action:
1. Sign up for Earth Hour 2009
You can take action by signing up to participate in Earth Hour.
2. Spread the word
The most powerful tool you have is your voice. Tell your friends, neighbors, schoolmates and coworkers, about Earth Hour. Email the story and encourage others to sign up and further spread the good word. Run your own Earth Hour using this tool.
3. Reduce your carbon footprint
Do your part to conserve energy. According to Carbon Footprint, excessive electricity demand is one of the biggest culprits in terms of carbon emissions. They have several recommendations on the many simple ways you can reduce your electricity usage, starting with lighting. Earth Hour is all about turning the lights out, so how about using energy-efficient lighting? Replace power hungry incandescent bulbs with CFL (compact fluorescent) or LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs. Energy-saving bulbs have come a long way in recent years. They now come in all shapes and sizes with more being introduced all the time. It’s Christmas time, do you have your LEDs on?
While you’re at it, get rid of that old fridge and replace it with an energy efficient one. You’ll see the difference on your electricity bill. Ride your bike, carpool, or use transit instead of driving when possible. Unplug electrical appliances when not in use. All appliances use a trickle of power when plugged in even when the power is off – the cumulative effect of all that trickling power is staggering.
How about getting a programmable thermostat in your home? Set it a few degrees cooler overnight and especially for when you’re out of the house. Only run washing machines and dishwashers with a full load and air dry clothes and dishes whenever possible.
If everyone did these simple things, imagine how much energy would be saved!
It’s never been so easy for a single individual to make a difference on such a massive scale. We can all take a stand against climate change together if we all do our part.
[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/v/1CRs-7lRlPo&hl=en ]
Image credit: PakyuZ at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
Video Credit: Official Earth Hour 2009 video posted on YouTube by Earth Hour.
