Got the following press release sent to me this morning...

Conservationists cheered House passage today of another three wilderness bills, and urged the Senate to take the measures up quickly. The bills, which passed by voice vote, will together protect for all Americans more than 320,000 acres of wild public land in California and New Mexico. From California’s iconic Joshua Trees and Giant Sequoias to New Mexico’s 1,000-foot-deep Canon Largo, more of our natural treasures will stay as they are for future generations, thanks to the action of Congress today.

“The U.S. House of Representatives has today given the ‘gold standard’ of protection to some of the country’s most beautiful places,” said Mike Matz, executive director of the Campaign for America's Wilderness. “Passage of these bipartisan bills today sends a strong signal that even in times of polarization and stalemate, lawmakers are working across party lines to find common ground in protecting our wild land,” said Matz. “We are seeing a real renaissance in wilderness protection in this country.”

The measures passed today are:

* The California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act (H.R. 3682), introduced by Rep. Bono Mack (R-CA), to protect more than 190,000 acres in Riverside County as wilderness, provide wild and scenic protection to 31 miles of four rivers, and expand the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. A companion bill has been introduced by Sen. Boxer (D-CA).
* The Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Act (H.R. 3022), sponsored by Rep. Costa (D-CA) and Rep. Nunes (R-CA ), will protect 115,000 acres of wilderness in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. Sen. Boxer has sponsored a Senate companion bill.
* The Sabinoso Wilderness Act (H.R. 2632), offered by Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM), would designate more than 15,000 acres in San Miguel County as wilderness.

The House has now cleared five wilderness bills this year (the two others protect land in Oregon and West Virginia), and passed another for wilderness in Virginia last October. Four additional bills, for wilderness in Idaho, Oregon, and Colorado, have cleared the Senate Committee and are awaiting action by the full Senate. A bill creating the Wild Sky Wilderness in Washington State became law last month.

I'm quickly becoming a huge fan of Planet Green television. The regular shows are pretty good, albeit similar to other Discovery Networks programming, but what got my attention tonight was the 2 part documentary Expedition Alaska. (Note: The link listed at the end of the show doesn't appear to work.)

If you saw this program tonight, then you'll understand why it fills me with an unhealthy level of anger about what's happening to our planet. I lived in Alaska for two years back in the early 90's. I've seen the beauty of Alaska up close and personal, walked on her frozen tundra, fished the streams, hiked through her forests, and what I saw tonight on Expedition Alaska is outrageous.

Two things bugged me the most as I was watching this show. First, was the methane bubbling up from the permafrost in Northern Alaska. I've walked on that ground, and looking down into the hole they dug and watching the methane bubbling to the surface from two feet down was like a kick in the teeth. That gas should be trapped, yet in the middle of a small lake, there was so much methane escaping from under the water it could be seen from the air.

And then there was the sea ice. I was simply flabbergasted that it was a 2 hour boat ride from shore just to find any sea ice at all, and even then there was very little. I remember seeing lots and lots of sea ice when I was in the Bering Sea, and it wasn't like we had to go looking for it. Usually it found us.

I'm not only furious because of the dramatic impact global warming is having on our planet; That in and of itself is bad enough. More than that, I'm angry because even though the stark evidence of the impact of global warming is right there, being broadcast directly into our homes, people I talk to every day will tell me climate change doesn't exist. I mean, you can see it right there with your own eyes in your own living room, yet there are still idiots and greedy corporations out there who are trying to convince people that it's not real, that it's just part of a natural cycle, or whatever the latest FUD is.

How they can say that in the face of such overwhelming visual evidence shoved right in their faces is truly beyond my ability to comprehend. It's just... astounding.

I suppose I shouldn't be so angry that I'm actually writing a rant about it, considering the climate change deniers wouldn't be caught dead watching a channel like Planet Green in the first place.

You gotta love the Club for Growth. If there's any aspect of pro-corporation PR they're not involved in, I'll be shocked. Of course, they've always loved fighting environmental legislation, which is why it's no surprise they're about to run a major ad campaign urging Congress to shoot down the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill.

A conservative, free-market advocacy group will begin airing ads this week pressing Senate Republicans and Democrats to vote against a bill that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Club for Growth wants to scuttle a bill by Sens. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, and John Warner, R-Va., that the Senate is scheduled to begin debating next month. Despite the ad campaign, the bill seems to lack the votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

With $250,000 in radio and television spots, the Club for Growth is targeting Republican Sens. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, and Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Max Baucus and Jon Tester of Montana. Dole, a co-sponsor of the bill, as well as Alexander, Baucus and Rockefeller face re-election this year.

This doesn't mean Lieberman-Warner is necessarily a good bill. But it is a pro-environment bill that will start the process of moving the U.S. in the right direction, even with the flaws it contains. It would be much better now, with a Republican in the White House, to pass this bill and send a notice to heavy polluters that times are about to change. Then when we get a Democrat elected to the office of President, we can really push for much more stringent standards, and push for truly effective environmental legislation.

Click the image to view an interactive map of how the new EPA clean air rules will allow 33 new coal-fired power plants to pollute our national parks

Under this White House, the EPA isn't so much the Environmental Protection Agency as it is the Energy Protection Agency. With Clean Air Act rules already relaxed for mercury emissions by power plants near highly populated areas, the EPA now says they're likely to relax the rules near our nations most pristine lands, the National Parks so they can pave the way for even more polluting power plants.

The Bush administration is on the verge of implementing new air quality rules that will make it easier to build power plants near national parks and wilderness areas, according to rank-and-file agency scientists and park managers who oppose the plan.

The new regulations, which are likely to be finalized this summer, rewrite a provision of the Clean Air Act that applies to "Class 1 areas," federal lands that currently have the highest level of protection under the law. Opponents predict the changes will worsen visibility at many of the nation's most prized tourist destinations, including Virginia's Shenandoah, Colorado's Mesa Verde and North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt national parks.

Nearly a year ago, with little fanfare, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed changing the way the government measures air pollution near Class 1 areas on the grounds that the nation needed a more uniform way of regulating emissions near protected areas. The agency closed the comment period in April and has indicated it is not making significant changes to the draft rule, despite objections by EPA staff members. (emphasis added)

That last point is important to keep in mind. Many, if not most of the people who work for the EPA are good people who truly want to do their jobs. But at every turn, they're overruled by political flaks put in place by the Bush White House to make the rules as beneficial to big business as possible, especially big energy.

But here's the real problem with the ruling.

On Thursday, the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group, issued a report estimating that the rule would ease the way for the construction of 33 new coal-fired power plants within 186 miles of 10 national parks. In each of the next 50 years, the report concludes, the new plants would emit a total of 122 million tons of carbon dioxide, 79,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 52,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 4,000 pounds of toxic mercury into the air over and around the Great Smoky Mountains, Zion and eight other national parks.

"It's like if you're pulled over by a cop for going 75 miles per hour in a 55 miles-per-hour zone, and you say, 'If you look at how I've driven all year, I've averaged 55 miles per hour,' " said Mark Wenzler, director of the National Parks Conservation Association's clean-air programs. "It allows you to vastly underestimate the impact of these emissions."

Unfortunately, the public comment period for the proposed rule changes ended in April, so there's pretty much nothing that can be done now. It seems like the changes will likely take effect, so this ends up being just one more thing added to the list of thousands that we hope the next President sees fit to undo.

You can click the image to view a map of how the new rules will impact our National Parks, or for more information visit the National Parks Conservation Association.

Ok, so I probably should have gone and ready the actual ruling that listed polar bears as a threatened species, because it seems that the asswipes in Washington filled it so full of loopholes that it could actually make matters worse.

Here's what others are saying, and I'll have more on this subject tomorrow after I get my hands on the actual ruling (and a few hours sleep tonight):

The Sierra Club was among the first conservation groups to criticize the approach, with Executive Director Carl Pope saying it was "riddled with loopholes, caveats, and backhanded language that could actually undermine protections for the polar bear and other species."

"The administration's attempts to reduce protection to the polar bear from greenhouse gas emissions are illegal and won't hold up in court," added Kassie Siegel, climate program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, and lead author of the 2005 petition that first triggered the Interior Department to study a listing.

Clayton Jernigan, an attorney for Earthjustice, said Kempthorne made clear steps would be taken to avoid interfering with offshore oil development in waters where bears and oil drilling are expected to coexist.

Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, was among those who felt Kempthorne was essentially forced to issue the listing, but at least acted so "that opportunities to continue to explore and drill in Alaska will not be impacted."

In February, the Interior Department sold oil and gas rights across some 29.7 million acres of the Chukchi Sea off the Alaskan coast — including prime polar bear habitat — for a record $2.66 billion.

Color me stupid for being so optimistic that the government would do the right thing. You'd think I would no better by now.

UPDATE: Ok, so I went ahead and searched for the actual ruling from the Interior Dept. and decided to share. You can download the semi-large pdf by clicking here.

UPDATE 2: I decided to go ahead and create a news page for the Latest News on the Polar Bear Protections as much to help myself keep up with everything being written, and for everyone else to use as well.

Hey, some good news for a change! I just got the following email from WWF telling me that the polar bear is now listed as a threatened species.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, which gives the bear important new protections. More than 16,000 WWF supporters spoke out for this icon of the North during the public comment period on the proposed listing. Thank you!

WWF also thanks the 22,000 activists who opposed the sale of oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, within prime polar bear habitat. Unfortunately, despite an outpouring of public opposition, the Minerals Management Service recently opened nearly 30 million acres of the Chukchi Sea to oil and gas exploration. Because of the polar bear’s new threatened status, however, MMS will need to ensure that its actions do not jeopardize the polar bear’s continued existence.

The polar bear was listed due to the threat from climate change-induced loss of its sea ice habitat. Based on current ice models and projections for polar bear populations, experts believe that two-thirds of the world's polar bear population may be lost by 2050. While the Endangered Species Act listing is an important step forward, urgent additional action is needed by governments and societies to reduce our carbon footprint.

I have to admit, I'm slightly surprised. I assumed the folks at the Department of the Interior would bow to political pressure and decide to offer the polar bears no protection at all so the oil companies could get their hands on their habitat. Seems a little activism and vocal support can actually make a difference.

Ralph Dull visits with Gov. Strickland at his alternative energy powered farm

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Brookville, Ohio is basically like every other part of the rural Midwest running along Interstate 70 from Columbus to Denver; It's flat, boring, and full of farms. In Brookville, however, there is a very special place where one farm is showing the rest of the nation how alternative energy and farming practices can not only make a huge difference for the environment, but can make a huge difference in profit-margin as well.

The 79-year-old Dull has since become an Ohio pioneer in green farming and renewable energy, jumping into it in hopes of increasing energy efficiency, cutting costs and protecting the environment.

There are six wind generators on his 2,800-acre farm in western Ohio. In one building sits a machine that produces hydrogen, made from electricity and water. Dull hopes it will soon replace the gas in his forklifts and supplant the propane that heats his pig barn.

Dull's office is geothermal heated and cooled. He dries his seed corn by burning rejected corn instead of propane, and he grinds corn cobs to sell as horse bedding and mulch.

Dull's practices have drawn such visitors as Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Ohio Agriculture Director Robert Boggs. Strickland came away impressed by the farm and what it could mean for agriculture's role in environmental protection.

“He is demonstrating through his farming practices that you can have a profitable farming operation while caring for the Earth,” Strickland said.

The governor and GOP legislative leaders want the state to rely more on alternative energy and are pushing a stimulus package that would earmark $150 million for advanced energy sources such as solar power, wind and clean coal.

Experts say that while Dull is still the exception, more farmers are expressing interest in green farming and in using renewable energy sources. Beyond environmental concerns, cost-conscious farmers are seeing economic benefits as fuel and fuel-based fertilizer prices soar.

In the interests of full disclosure, I should tell you that I've met Ralph Dull and his wife, Christine, on numerous occasions. I first got to know them through what was then called the 911 Coalition, a loosely knit group of local activist organizations that came together in the wake of the September 11 attacks to protest President Bush's then plans to go to war in Iraq. I've had some wonderful conversations with them and heard some of their incredible story first-hand, usually while standing outside in way too cold weather at a protest or rally.

What many of the articles I've seen on Ralph and his alternative energy farm leave out is that the Dull's are not just regular Midwestern folk who've adopted alternative energy to help cut costs on their farm. They've been activists for peace and the planet their entire adult lives, and are extremely active in the social justice movement around Dayton. Every year they're part of a large group of activists who travel to Ft. Benning, Georgia to protest the since renamed School of the America's, where Latin-American dictators such as Manuel Noriega and others were trained by the U.S. Government. Ralph and Christine were also instrumental in making the Dayton International Peace Museum a reality.

As usual, though, Ralph and Christine are ahead of the curve, this time on alternative energy. The difference is that this time a lot more people are actually starting to listen, take notice, and follow suit. In my opinion, it's about damned time.

For more about the Dull's farming practices, visit their Future Energy and Conservation Center website.

Zhou Xun is China's first UN Goodwill Ambassador on the Environment
Source: Daylife

I can't claim to have seen any of her movies, but apparently Chinese actress Zhou Xun has apparently done something right, as the United Nations has selected her to be a Goodwill Ambassador on the Environment.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced on Monday that Chinese actress Zhou Xun was appointed as its first National Goodwill Ambassador with a special focus on promoting environmental sustainability.

"Zhou Xun has set a good example in her own life to protect the environment that also impacts people around her. It only seems fitting that she has chosen to help the United Nations promote environmental awareness, in particular, on the challenge of climate change," said Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China.

He said UNDP would work with Zhou Xun to motivate individuals to take part in the fight against climate change by adopting simple lifestyle habits such as using reusable chopsticks in restaurants or switching to more efficient, energy saving light bulbs.

Having signed the Letter of Designation, which must be for the smallest amount of money she has ever signed for - one dollar a year, the multi-talented award winner Zhou Xun described her appointment as an honour and responsibility.

"It's not about the message, but the delivery.The issue is how to get people to voluntarily practice the green tips they have already known and be proud to practice them. Our goal is to find a clever way to make green tips hip, fashionable and fun," said Zhou Xun.

"Everyone must do his part to tackle the challenge of climate change head-on, rather see the reduction of carbon emissions as something to be tackled by government and big industries. Everyone can make a difference," she added, citing she managed to persuade her colleagues to use reusable chopsticks when shooting film in Yunnan Province.

Some people will say that silly little appointments like this don't make any difference, but I tend to disagree. I think that at some point everyone gets a little starstruck, and celebrities can do an outstanding job of communicating a message for change. Even if their advice isn't always taken, celebrities have a power that we regular folks sometimes don't. That is, they can get people to listen.

Just yesterday I posted that George Clooney was meeting with the British Prime Minister about Darfur, which is good a step in the right direction. Gordon Brown isn't very likely to invite me to his office and listen to my complaints, but he'll damned sure listen to George Clooney.

Even if there's no immediate action, celebrities fulfill a very important function by generating dialog. And once people start talking, a few of them might actually decide to do something, and that's how change begins.

I'm a note-taker.

As I sit in front of the computer, whether I'm playing video games or preparing a blog post, I always have paper and pen ready to take notes. Normally I re-use paper that I've already printed something out on. I just flip it over and use the back as a scratch pad.

But the folks at Xerox have come up with an even better solution. Paper that erases itself after 24 hours.

A team of experts from the same company that gave us the laser printer and the computer mouse is making another major change to the workplace with reusable paper which erases itself after 24 hours so it can be used again. The sheets are coated with special chemicals which turn white on their own or by being run through a special printer, meaning text will disappear and allow the paper to be used again.

Designers at Xerox believe that their reusable paper could save the world's offices at least seven trillion pages a year which would otherwise be printed once and then thrown away. There is one drawback: it is not capable of erasing pen doodles or unfolding paper aeroplanes.

Ok, so it would be cool if it could erase pen markings but it can't, so in one sense there's a little bit of a drawback for hand-writers like me. It's also going to suck for the idiot who writes disparaging remarks about his coworkers or boss thinking it'll disappear by morning. On the other hand, though, I can easily see how something like this can reduce wasted paper in an office environment.

There is a downside to this, however. Politicians might actually be telling the truth when they say documents have suddenly just disappeared.

Some people simply don't get it. When it comes to science, you don't begin a study already knowing the outcome. Generally, you begin a study by asking a question, then conducting tests to determine whether or not you were correct. But to far too many politicians, science is simply another tool to advance a political agenda.

In this case, it's politicians in Alaska, mainly Republicans, who want to hire "scientists" to disprove studies already conducted by the state's Interior Department.

See, the politicians don't like the idea that scientists are showing polar bears are threatened by climate change, and need to be named as a protected species. Actually doing that would mean one thing... less windfall profits for their buddies in big oil.

The Alaskan government wants to find scientists who will study polar bears to prove they are not threatened by global warming, officials say.

Republican legislative leaders in Alaska say the current scientific stance that polar bears are being "threatened" by global warming could potentially have a negative impact on Alaska's economy and arctic oil development, The Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday.

"We want to have the money to hire scientists to answer the Interior (Department) scientists," House Speaker John Harris, R-Valdez, said of the scientific fight.

Unfortunately, these politicians will most likely get their way, and in the process all they'll accomplish, other than further oil profits, is to confuse the public even more about the realities of climate change.

You know, it's news like this that really makes me hate getting up early on Monday mornings. I apologize for the short diary before heading out for work, but seeing this story really annoyed me this morning, and I just couldn't leave the house without sharing.

What bothers me the most, however, is that these politicians are openly calling for junk science so that they can continue their political agenda, and they feel absolutely no shame in doing so. That, my friends, is what I call disgusting.

Google has Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Moon, and even Google Mars. So what could possibly be next? How about Google Ocean, a 3D model of the planet under water.

The tool--for now called Google Ocean, the sources say, though that name could change--is expected to be similar to other 3D online mapping applications. People will be able to see the underwater topography, called bathymetry; search for particular spots or attractions; and navigate through the digital environment by zooming and panning.

[...]

"There is no real terrain or depth model for the ocean in Google Earth," said Tim Haverland, a geospatial application developer at the Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "You can't get in a submarine and in essence fly through the water and explore ocean canyons yet."

Google Ocean will feature a basic layer that shows the depth of the sea floor and will serve as a spatial framework for additional data, sources said, adding that Google plans to try to fill in some areas of the map with high-resolution images for more detail.

Additional data will be displayed as overlying layers that depict phenomena like weather patterns, currents, temperatures, shipwrecks, coral reefs, and algae blooms, much like the National Park Service and NASA provide additional data for Google Earth and Google Sky.

I've always been a fan of bamboo. It's a great, renewable resource that grows faster than we can cut it down (so far). Like many people, I've thought bamboo would make great flooring, or wall panels, and stuff like that. I've even got a few bamboo shirts that I really like, but I've never thought of building an entire house out of bamboo.

via The Alternative Consumer:

Bamboo Living Technologies offers building code certified pre-fab homes in the USA, built for any climate. So, you can practically grow your own home. The eco benefits of timber bamboo are great — it’s strong, beautiful and highly renewable. Bamboo can grow as much as 4 feet in one day, and a sustainable harvest of timber bamboo takes just 7 years, according to their video.

Personally, I could put one of these homes on about ten acres of wooded land, put some solar panels on the roof, and retire in complete comfort. Well, as long as it included a bar, sauna, and a few other little luxuries :-)

The truth is, bamboo can be grown just about anywhere, and there tons of different varieties. And really, there's not much that can't be done with it. You can build houses, make clothing, provide feedstock for cellulosic ethanol, and even eat it. What's not to like about bamboo?

I mostly like this ad from Friends of the Earth Action, released on Earth Day, slamming John McCain for what will certainly be a disastrous environmental policy should he be elected.

To be fair, I could support nuclear energy if we had a good way to dispose of nuclear waste. That's not a popular position to take, but I do feel that nuclear energy is a good option, but only after we figure out where to store the waste, or find a way to permanently neutralize it.

But that's not the point of the ad. The truth is, John McCain doesn't have a clue about the environment, and never will. Then again, John McCain doesn't have a clue about hardly anything, so what's new.

This is from the FoE Action press release:

“It is outrageous for Senator McCain to portray himself as tough on spending and as a friend of the environment, and then go out and push all this pork for corporate polluters. That’s not straight talk,” said Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth Action. “Instead of adding more pork for the nuclear industry, Senator McCain should be trying to cut the fat that’s already there.”

Blackwelder noted that McCain’s opponents in the presidential campaign, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have voiced support for a different approach to global warming—a cap-and-trade system that makes polluters pay for their pollution via a 100 percent auction of pollution permits. When the Lieberman-Warner bill came before the Senate’s environment and public works committee in December, Clinton offered an amendment to eliminate many of its giveaways by adding 100 percent auctions to the bill. Obama has spoken of his support for 100 percent auctions as a key difference between himself and McCain.

McCain’s attempt to add more polluter pork to the global warming bill is hardly the only recent strike against his environmental record. He also failed to show up for two votes within the last six months that would have promoted clean energy solutions such as wind and solar power; each of those measures failed by a one-vote margin, and the other presidential candidates showed up to vote.

“There is a wide gulf between McCain and the Democratic candidates on environmental issues and global warming,” Blackwelder said. “These ads are calling attention to that gulf with the hope of persuading McCain to start taking the legislative actions that are logically required to erase it. Opposing polluter giveaways in the Lieberman-Warner bill would be a good first step.”

Biodiesel extends the life of bus engines

A school district in Virginia has decided to switch their fleet of buses to biodiesel.

Two years ago Gloucester Co. decided to test alternative fuels on 20 of its school buses. Now all of its buses are running on biodiesel that’s made right outside Hampton Roads.

Biodiesel is petrodiesel mixed with soybean oil, and Head of Transportation for the Gloucester County School System Roger Kelly says bus drivers using it have noticed the difference.

“Some of our drivers have even commented that they see that the buses run smoother,” he said.

[...]

Bio-diesel acts like a cleaning agent. For school buses, this means the fuel has the ability to clean mineral deposits from the fuel injectors, fuel tanks and fuel lines. In the long run, that means a bus can stay in service a lot longer before needing a new engine.

The good news is that it is cleaner. But like most biofuels, there is a cost to consider, namely what the source of the fuel is. As long as we're not taking crops out of the food chain, biodiesel is a great alternative. But we have to be careful that we're using sources of fuel that won't lead to food shortages sooner rather than later.

From 8 to 9 pm local time tonight, millions of people will be switching off the lights and joining with their neighbors to remind us all to conserve energy. Because we're so used to having the lights and television on, here are 10 things you can do to while away the time courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund.

1. Host a Green Party
Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you're each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.

2. Give Yourself an Energy Makeover
Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power-like wind, hydro or solar.

3. Go Green with Your Kids
Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? Check out our downloadable Earth Hour kids' activities.

4. Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt
Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you're using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags... and reuse them!

5. Green That Workspace!
Working the night shift? Even if you can't turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight--shut 'em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference, too.

6. Involve Your Local Leaders
If your city or town isn't hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community "green" discussion this spring. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they're doing to make your city greener.

7. Clean Up Your Neighborhood
Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It's a great chance to do some stargazing, too!

8. Unplug and Chill Out
Most of our daily activities--like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends--require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill... turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?

9. Take Your Temperature
Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37 degrees F. and the freezer at 0 degrees F., you'll make a big difference.

10. Make a Pledge for the Planet
Earth Hour shouldn't end at 9:01 pm--it's a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more--recycle, drive less often, turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we're going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.