50 Things to Do During Earth Hour

Every last Saturday of March is Earth Hour. The goal of Earth Hour is to raise awarenes towards the need to take action towards climate change. Business and homes everywhere participate by shutting off their lights and lowering their energy consumption in any way that they can. Every year, the participants in Earth Hour have grown in numbers, as more people become more aware of the changes our planet are going through (and the Earth Hour event itself).

Think Earth Hour sounds like a great idea, but you're struggling to find things to do? Here;s a list of 50 things to do during Earth Hour, from candlelight dinners to scary ghost stories. You're bound to find something on the list that you'll find fun and interesting!

1. There's never been a better excuse to cook up some Smores by the fire.
2. A game of flashlight tag feels even more justified and fun during Earth Hour.
3. Tell some scary ghost stories in the pitch black of the night.
4. Cook up a late night BBQ and serve some of your family's favorites.
5. Get the whole area involved and throw a neighborhood party for Earth Hour.
6. Kids and adults alike can appreciate the simplicity of candelit shadow puppets.
7. While you have your candles burning, you can also plan your own romantic candlelight dinner.
8. Experience the phenomenon of glow in the dark Lifesavers at night.
9. Let the kids bring out their collection of glow in the dark stickers to fully appreciate the glow.
10. Play with glow sticks, tons of fun in the pitch black dark.
11. Listen for owls at night and learn the different calls. Just be very quiet and go into the woods with your call tape (wait a few minutes after each call to wait for them to respond).
12. View constellations and try to find some of the popular ones like Orion's Belt and the Big Dipper.
13. Go camping in your own backyard for the night.
14. Start a campfire and enjoy those Smores and tell ghost stories. It will be a night to remember!
15. Play board games by candlelight.
16. Plan a night hike, a thrilling experience that's far different from any day hike you've ever gone on.
17. View the beautiful, natural wonder of tidal pools lit by moonlight (bring a flashlight, too).
18. The first warm, rainy night of spring is when the salamanders walk to the vernal pools to breed. This is a sight to see (and might not happen during Earth Hour, but it's around this time of year).
19. Listen for animals near your home, or in the woods. Like owls, you'll just need to be quiet and patient.
20. Turn off everything in your home and go grocery shopping. You'll enjoy the short lines at the grocery store!
21. Go to the movies. They'll be using the electricity in the theater whether you go or night.
22. Tell one of these scary ghost stories and terrify everyone around you.
23. Attend a restaurant that is participating in Earth Hour. Google your local area plus "earth hour restaurants" for more information.
24. Sleep. The average American could use more of it. Why not tonight?
25. Hold a blind taste testing for beer, wine and cheese.
26. Ask for a massage, or give a massage. They're even better in the dark (and a great way to relax during Earth Hour).
27. Plan a scavenger hunt at night in your yard, in the woods, in the city, or wherever you find fun.
28. Listen to your favorite music on your ipod in the serenity of the dark.
29. Walk around to see who else is participating in Earth Hour.
30. Break out those scented candles that you've been storing and actually use them.
31. Play board games that you've never played before, maybe even the scariest one of all, the ouija board.
32. Read by candlelight (not too close though!).
33. Reminisce about your past, talk about it, and share it with your kids, partner or friends.
34. Let the kids play outside late. They'll be thrilled.
35. Play horseshoes in the dark. It's much harder.
36. Go thermostat free and bundle up (if you need to).
37. Read up on reducing, reusing, and recycling on your charged up Blackberry or iphone.
38. Use your Kindle to read without any candlelight.
39. Play new video games on your Nintendo DS or portable game system.
40. Take a bath. They're even more relaxing in the dark.
41. Pamper yourself with all of your spa and beauty products, then recycle the containers.
42. Take a walk along the beach if it's low tide and take in the fresh air.
43. Take the train into the city and walk around.
44. Enjoy the free lights and electricity at your local coffee shop.
45. Make campfire food.
46. Use the time to talk about what you'd like to plant in your garden (or indoor garden), or other green ideas for the coming spring and summer months.
47. Look up at the nighttime sky to notice how dark or not dark it really is.
48. Listen for frogs and spring peepers.
49. Make some fondue.
50. Start making your own list of things that you did during Earth Hour, then share them here or on your own blog!

Did you participate in Earth Hour? If you didn't, you can make plans to participate in Earth Hour next year, or just plan your own personal Earth Hour on a different day. It's all about reducing our impact on the environment and educating others. You can also read our other post on things to do during Earth Hour for more ideas.

Ten Easy Green New Year's Resolutions

So New Year's has come and gone and its time to start thinking about the resolutions that we made for the year. An easy way to select a resolution that you can stick to is to select something to implement in your everyday life. They say it takes 21 days to start a habit or break a habit so in 3 weeks your resolution should be firmly in place! Below are a list of Ten Easy Green Resolutions to help you in your green journey and in keeping your resolutions. I promise, they are easy!



1. Shut off the lights when you leave a room This is a very easy to implement green New Year's resolution. How many times have you walked out of a room and left the lights on and the TV going, not to return for an hour or more? Whether you are on the phone or making dinner, if you keep the lights on only in the rooms that you are in, you will become a more energy conscious household. You will also see a reduction in your electricty bill in the months to follow your efforts.

2. Use electricity during non-peak hours When possible, use electricty during non-peak hours. You can check in with yor service provider to get the definition as all companies set their own off-peak hours. If you can reduce your energy use during the peak hours (typically during the day), and run your larger appliances such as the dishwasher, washing machine, etc. during off peak hours (typically at night) you will see a large reduction in your energy bill. You will also be putting less pressure on the energy system as not as many people consciously use electricty during non-peak hours.

3. Shut off the water when brushing your teeth This again is a very simple and easy step. There is no need to leave the water running while you are brushing your teeth. Rinse your brush at the beginning, then turn off the water until you have finished brushing your teeth and turn the water on again to rinse off your brush. The amount of water will add up to gallons and gallons saved by the end of the month!

4. Reduce your shower time by 3 minutes-you will be surprised at the amount of water you will save! Now 3 minutes may not seem like a lot, but it all adds up. Think about the gallons of water coming out of the shower head and going right down the drain. 3 minutes less of running water saves gallons of water! This is something that is easily accomplished by using a wind up timer which you leave in the bathroom and start when you step into the shower.

5. Eliminate the use of paper towels in your house Paper towels are a big source of paper waste in many households. Instead of using paper towels consider some alternatives, such as paperless towels, old clothes or rags you have around the house, or even towels which you can wash and reuse time and time again. Not only will this cut down on your paper use it will also save money!

6. Reusable bags! Use them every time you go shopping Reusable bags have to be one of the easiest way to cut down on your waste. The average family goes grocery shopping at least once a week. Think about all of the plastic and paper you would eliminate by taking your own bags to the store instead of using the paper and plastic bags which will only be thrown away when you get home. Always leave the bags in your car so that you won't forget to bring them in with you. They also have reusable produce bags now! Why use a product created by petroleum, when you can reuse a fabric bag over and over-cleaning in by a simple run through the washing machine.

7. Turn down the heat by 3 degrees in the winter and the air conditioner up 3 degrees in the summer This is one similiar to the shower, and you may think how much of a difference will 3 degrees make-again you will be surprised! Try it out for a few months and then compare your utility bills to last year during the same months and you should see the savings. For the 3 degrees it is easy to dress a bit warmer (or cooler in the summer). In the winter this may mean having a sweatshirt on in the house instead of just a long sleeve shirt. An easy sacrfice to cut down on your energy use and save money!

8. Buy local-road side stands, farmers markets, farms etc during the months that they are open Now this part of your resolution may have to wait for warmer weather, but it is something to consider now. Maybe you want to think about joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) where for a set price you can receive fresh fruits and vegetables (some even offer meats, flowers, eggs, etc) that you would pick up once a week. Or maybe a better approach for you in to find out when your local farm stands will be running and make it a point to go once a week to pick up everything you will need. Not only will you sometimes find better prices, but the food is fresher and grown locally. You will be supporting some of the local farmers instead of a farmer 1/2 way across the country, where the fruit and vegetables have been covered with pollution and dirt from their travels in the back of a truck to you.

9. Check your house for drafts especially around doors and windows Not only can you get tax credits for some of these improvements, you will see a decrease in your heating bill/cooling bill every month. Every place there is a draft in your house, whether it be from a door or window, there is cold or hot air coming into you house depending on the season. Not to mention the spiders and other small insects which may squeeze themselves through these gaps. The best way to check this is to feel around the doors and windows, especially on a windy day and see if you can feel air coming through. If so, you may want to consider chaulking the windows and replacing the weatherstripping around your doors.

10. Grow your own spices in the warmer months In the spring and summer months we get spoiled by using fresh spices. Whether you buy them at the farmer's market or you grow them at home. Carry this through the winter by growing your own spices indoors. This may seem like a challenge to some but how much space do a few pots need? And it is definitely worth it to have fresh spices!

Biodegradable Trash Bags

Normal plastic trash bags are huge sources of landfill waste. They add contain hazardous chemicals, and they never truly break down into the environment. Since they do not decompose, they are very prone to blowing around in the wind, landing in forests, waterways, and oceans. These trash bags are sometimes ingested by wildlife, causing them serious harm or death, suffocated them from the inside and on the outside.

What's the Solution?

The solution is to use biodegradable trash bags. These bags will break down into the environment instead of taking thousands of years. These bags also use less energy to produce, so from inception, these bags will be a bit greener. Chartreuse's biodegradable trash bags in particular, break down into natural organic compounds safely into the environment and are specifically engineered to safely decompose in landfill environments. It's important to make the switch to biodegradable for wildlife, the planet, the drinking water supply, and ourselves. You can order your biodegradable trash bags here. Use the shop for now link on the right side of that page.

Don't Let Go!

Most people love balloons. They're fun, cheap to buy, and easy to get rid of. They're cheap entertainment, and they're attention-grabbing. Unfortunately, they also are very harmful to animals, just like plastic bags. Once released, balloons will eventually burst and return to the ground. Some may still be inflated when they eventually descend back to the ground or ocean.

Turtles, whales, sharks and dolphins commonly mistake floating balloons for food, namely jellyfish. These become entangled or block the digestion of the animal, killing it. Birds are also affected by balloons released, as you can see here.

What should you do about this? Don't release balloons! The best way to prevent balloons from causing problems for wildlife is to prevent their release. Read more about what the UK has done recently to halt balloon releases on this page by the Marine Conservation Society, which was used as a source for this blog post.