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Green Facts
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Bamboo absorbs 35% more carbon dioxide than equivalent stands of trees.
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Recycling 1 million laptop computers can save the amount of energy used by 3,657 homes in the U.S. over the course of a year.
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It takes 6,000,000 trees to make 1 year's worth of tissues for the world.
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If every U.S. household turned the thermostat down by 10 degrees for seven hours each night during the cold months, and seven hours each weekday, it would prevent nearly gas emissions.
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Less than 1% of electricity in the United States is generated from solar power.
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Glass can be recycled over and over again without ever wearing down.
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A steel mill using recycled scrap reduces related water pollution, air pollution, and mining wastes by about 70%.
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Recycling for one year at Stanford University saved the equivalent of 33,913 trees and the need for 636 tons of iron ore, coal, and limestone.
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A tree that provides a home with shade from the sun can reduce the energy required to run the air conditioner and save an additional 200 to 2,000 pounds of carbon over its lifetime.
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Rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 acres per minute.
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Nudge your thermostat up two degrees in the summer and down two degrees in the winter to prevent 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
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82 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from burning fossil fuels.
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Due to tiger poaching, habitat destruction, and other human-tiger conflicts, tigers now number around 3,200—a decrease in population by about 70% from 100 years ago.
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Americans throw away more than 120 million cell phones each year, which contribute 60,000 tons of waste to landfills annually.
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77% of people who commute to work by car drive alone.
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Every week about 20 species of plants and animals become extinct.
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An aluminum can that is thrown away instead of recycled will still be a can 500 years from now!
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Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild our entire commercial fleet of airplanes every 3 months
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You will save 100 pounds of carbon for each incandescent bulb that you replace with a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL), over the life of the bulb.
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Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy used to make the material from scratch.
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Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year.
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For every 38,000 bills consumers pay online instead of by mail, 5,058 pounds of greenhouse gases are avoided and two tons of trees are preserved.
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The World Health Organization estimates that 2 million people die prematurely worldwide every year due to air pollution.
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You will save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 10,000 miles you drive if you always keep your car’s tires fully inflated.
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Shaving 10 miles off of your weekly driving pattern can eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
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A laptop consumes five times less electricity than a desktop computer.
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Refrigerators built in 1975 used 4 times more energy than current models.
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In the United States, automobiles produce over 20 percent of total carbon emissions. Walk or bike and you'll save one pound of carbon for every mile you travel.
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You’ll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle.
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Turning off the tap when brushing your teeth can save as much as 10 gallons a day per person.
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One recycled aluminum can will save enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, or a TV for 2 hours.
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Recycling 100 million cell phones can save enough energy to power 18,500 homes in the U.S. for a year.
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A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water.
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States with bottle deposit laws have 35-40% less litter by volume.
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Current sea ice levels are at least 47% lower than they were in 1979.
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Americans use 100 million tin and steel cans every day.
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American workers spend an average of 47 hours per year commuting through rush hour traffic. This adds up to 23 billion gallons of gas wasted in traffic each year.
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Washing your clothes in cold or warm instead of hot water saves 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, and drying your clothes on a clothesline six months out of the year would save another 700 pounds.
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In California homes, about 10% of energy usage is related to TVs, DVRs, cable and satellite boxes, and DVD players.


Paper bags take up more space in the landfill and remove more trees from the planet, adding to deforestation problems. Plastic bags expend greater energy in their production and are derived from oil, i.e. they are a petroleum product. Biodegradable bags combine the worst of these...

Why make a cover for your iPod, iPhone, or MP3 player? So it looks awesome! And there’s the whole not getting scratched thing. These days, everybody has one of those colored plastic iPhone covers. Why not find your inner creativity, be interesting, and make people think twice about...
There are a variety of harmful chemicals used in the production of beauty products. When thinking about your makeup and other skin and hair care choices, it is also important to make note of the expiration date. It is easy to get lazy and keep using old mascara rather than going out and buying a new and fresh bottle. However, when these products get...
Plastic shopping bags and disposable water bottles are so 2008. Chances are, you've already given them up in favor of cloth bags and a stainless steel water bottle—if you haven't, what are you waiting for?! But, if your home looks anything like mine, you have a good deal of plastic products lying around. I brush my teeth with a plastic toothbrush...
During a yoga class, at the dinner table, or in the bedroom, a burning candle always sets the right mood. A handcrafted candle sets an even better mood! This guide shows you how to make four different types of beeswax...
Looking for a solid-wood dresser, a beach read, or a baby's first playsuit? I know just the place… at a local yard sale or flea market you can score second hand goods for a fraction of department-store prices! In fact, Americans love buying used almost as much as we love buying new In fact, the United States is home to the world's longest yard sale...
Credit cards are flashy and plasticky. They're issued by megabanks. They stand in for dollar signs. They rarely appear in the same sentence as “conservation” or “Mother Earth.” However, it doesn't have to be that way. When your card supports the right products and causes, it can be even greener than your paper Benjamin...
Are your earbuds and headphones just not cutting it anymore for you and your rock-outs? Instead of at least twenty bucks on a decent set of speakers, consider making your own using the materials you probably already have around your house. Read here to find a variety of ideas for constructing your own speakers that will use less energy than...
Why Make a Cover for Your Cell Phone, iPod, or MP3 Player? Reusing old clothing fabric or plastic bottles to make a cover for your MP3 player or phone may seem more like an arts and crafts project than an environmentally friendly action, but it can be quite helpful for the planet. Making your own cover instead purchasing one saves resources...
Going to the farmers market is a fun and exciting way to shop for fresh and healthy foods. You get to personally talk to farmers, try a lot more varieties of fruits and vegetables than your typical grocery store carries, and more directly support the local economy. Plus, you lower your carbon footprint by eating locally and reducing your food miles!...
With fashion trends forever in flux, the shoe industry is booming and the life expectancy of shoes is shriveling. In the span of fourteen years, worldwide shoe production increased 70 percent, reaching 17 billion in 2004. Many of these shoes end up finding a home in landfills when their trendiness expires. In the UK, 100 million pairs of shoes...
Every year, 500 billion new plastic bags are consumed around the world. On average, that means a million bags are used every minute. Unfortunately, only 1%-3% of that amount actually gets recycled, meaning most of that plastic goes right into landfills or into the environment.You could help fight this terrible plastic-filled landfill trend...
From their contents to packaging, cosmetics have quite an impact on the environment. Many cosmetics consist of synthetic chemicals that are harmful to your skin and the environment. Additionally, many people suffer allergic reactions to these synthetic compounds used by the cosmetic industry. The excessive packaging of many...
The personal vehicle revolutionized transportation, but it was a step in the wrong direction for environmental stewardship. Today, more than half a billion cars travel on roads worldwide and the number is expected to double within the next twenty years. With the average car releasing more than six tons of CO2 annually, transportation is a...
Plastic is everywhere. It is widely used to store our everyday use of foods and beverages. As we may have become accustomed to the convenience, durability, and accessibility of plastic, it is important to use it responsibly. Most plastic products are made from petroleum (a non-renewable resource) and create a large volume of waste in our...
Libraries are great, but sometimes I want to keep a book, or write in it, or find an obscure book my library does not have. Or perhaps you do not live near a big library. Buying new books can be fun, but sometimes you just want to read a book and then read another and another, without amassing a huge collection. Trading books gives you...
Why make rugs when you can buy them? Because it's easy and fun! Making "Rag Rugs" became particularly popular from 1890 to 1910 especially among women in the country or frontier. Instructions are often passed orally through family generations. Rugs are a great decoration that add color to boring rooms, and warm up the floor during cold winter...
often cite convenience, health concerns, and safety as reasons to drink bottled water. However, recent studies suggest that bottled water is no safer or healthier than tap water.With a reusable water bottle you don't have to sacrifice the on-the-go convenience of bottled water and you can help reduce the negative impact that the bottled...