Since Al Gore introduced the world to the very imminent threat of global warming with his film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” Earth Day has become a holiday celebrated by more than Birkenstock-wearing tree-huggers. It is now a national holiday getting a lot of attention from everyone from your grandma to the presidential candidates.

The future of our planet – which is looking like a hot, fiery mess, at best – is the talk of town and going green is all the rage. To most, however, it is also a giant pain in the butt. If you aren’t going to buy a Hybrid, compost your waste or completely stop using toilet paper (eww), then you can’t make much of a difference anyway, right?

Wrong.

Reducing your impact on the planet is easier than you think. By making a few unnoticeable changes in your life you can make some drastic changes for Momma Earth.

1. Change your bulbs: Instead of picking up those 60-watt bulbs at your neighborhood Home Depot, opt for CFL’s (Compact Fluorescent Bulbs). They may cost a little more but they require 2/3 less energy and last up to 10 times longer.

2. Sign up for E-billing: Feel like the only mail you ever get is bills? Imagine how many trees are cut down to provide you with those monthly downers. By signing up for online billing you eliminate the wasted paper from the bills and the envelope to submit your payment.

3. Shop the farmer’s market: If Detroit can only boast about one thing it should definitely be its high quality Farmer’s Markets. Whether it be Royal Oak or the Eastern Market, these establishments provide fresh produce that is locally grown (eliminates wasted gas on shipping products cross country), often times without water-polluting pesticides. You may have to fight your way past the hippies hawking their hand-knit pot holders/Patchouli candles, but it is worth it for when you bite into one of those strawberries.  

4. Bring your own bags: It may have been beautiful blowing in the wind in “American Beauty,” but plastic bags (especially those that have been littered and are now blowing around) take up to 10 years to decompose in a landfill. Paper bags are not much better. When you head to the mall -- or the farmer’s market! -- reduce waste by bringing along your own bags. Kroger and many other stores will even give you a little money back for being a friend of the Earth.

5. Recycle your electronics: You know you tossed that old school Razr when the iPhone came out. But I bet you didn’t know that used electronics left in landfills not only take up space, but also leak toxic materials that can contaminate our drinking water. You can thank the United States Postal Service for saving the earth; they are kicking off a new electronics recycling program. Simply head over to the post office, pick up a prepaid envelope and drop your used iPod, cell phone, or other small electronics in there to be sent away and recycled. The program hasn’t hit Detroit yet, but it’s coming!

6. Unplug your stuff: Even if your computer/toaster/coffee maker/iPod/cell phone/hair dryer/XBox aren’t turned on, keeping them plugged in uses unnecessary energy. Just unplug ‘em when they aren’t in use and you will decrease your energy consumption considerably.
   

7. Avoid bottled water: Detroit has some of the best water in the country, so why are you still wasting plastic and over-filling landfills with those bottles of Dasani? Buy a water bottle and re-fill it. If you are averse to tap water, buy a filter.

8. Bring your own mug: The thought of a day without Starbucks is downright scary, but those daily coffee runs also mean excess waste in the form of cups and sleeves. Bring in your own mug and they will fill it for you, oftentimes at a discount.

9. Get up and clean up: The weather is finally starting to turn, so it’s time to get off the couch and start working on that bod. Go for a run and, while you’re at it, help the earth by picking up trash along the way. All that bending is bound to work your abs, right?

10. Get out of the shower: Around 4 gallons of water are used in the shower every minute. That means a fifteen minute shower uses over 60 gallons of water! You could do like the Granola’s and give up showering all together, or you could just move a little quicker. Reducing your shower time by a mere five minutes could save over 7,300 gallons of water a year.

 

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