Children are full of amazing ideas. That has been proven at Griffin Memorial School in Litchfield, New Hampshire. During a lesson with Fern Seiden, the school's guidance counselor, a third grade class suggested starting a bottle recycling program. The students were concerned with the great amount of plastic water bottles that were placed in the trash.
These students knew of the benefits of recycling, as a paper recycling program had been in place at Griffin for several years. This program was created as a joint venture between the Parent-Teacher Organization and some third grade teachers. Using money from the NH is
Is Ethanol the Answer?
by Lisa Stauber September 9th, 2008 | Pollution, ReduceEthanol has been touted as an alternative, renewable energy source. It is created from plant matter, and there is no drilling required. If the United States could convert from imported oil to an ethanol-based biofuel, energy independence would be assured. Or would it?
Ethanol in America is derived from corn kernels and has been used to fuel cars in the past. In fact, Henry Ford’s Model T was designed to run on 100% ethanol. The Clean Air Act passed in 1990 mandates that standard petroleum-based gasoline is to be mixed with ethanol in certain cities to cut down
Clean Clothes With Less Water
by Lisa Stauber August 26th, 2008 | Easy Ideas, Household Hints, ReduceWe’ve heard the standard advice of using low flow toilets, not watering during the heat of the day, and using a bucket to wash the car. Here are some easy ways to reduce your water consumption in the laundry room.
Get new appliances. An average top-loading washer uses 40 gallons for a full load; a super capacity machine can use up to 57 gallons. Front loading washers use about half as much water and are the easiest way to reduce your household
Family Planning and Fish Pollution
by Lisa Stauber August 12th, 2008 | Pollution, ReduceCaring about the environment means caring about our local waterways. Polluted waterways damage ecosystems, harm animals, and are an early sign of impending ecological disaster.
Unfortunately, many people don’t think about how the choices they make in everyday life affect our water quality. Many products used by Americans every day are damaging sensitive fish.
Artificial contraceptives, such as the pill, are a major cause of chemical pollution. A growing concern among scientists is the fact that so many synthetic human hormones
CFL Lighting, Pros and Cons
by Lisa Stauber July 30th, 2008 | Easy Ideas, Household Hints, Recycle, ReduceCompact Fluorescent Lamps, or CFLs, are a technological marvel of efficiency. They deliver the same amount of light as regular bulbs but use one-fourth of the energy. Several states are considering outlawing the sale of conventional lightbulbs to encourage consumers to use CFLs exclusively.
The new bulbs easily replace standard incandescent bulbs in most fixtures. They produce less heat, lower electricity bills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. What’s not to love?
Well, for starters, the bulbs cost more than incandescent
