Around the world, people are celebrating Earth Day. There are many ways you can save energy and celebrate Earth Day while staying at home.
Adapt an Event to a Digital Teach-In
We can keep ourselves and our neighbors safe by transforming our events into digital gatherings. Have speakers or performers go live on social media and brainstorm with your community actions you can take from home and things you want to do together in the future.
Teach-ins throughout 2021 will play a significant role in providing communities with the knowledge they need to advocate for a cleaner, more secure future. Use this toolkit to plan an effective teach-in that will bring your community together.
Perform a Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit
While a professional energy audit provides the most complete picture of your home's energy use, a diligent self-assessment can help you pinpoint problem areas and prioritize your energy efficiency upgrades.
The US Department of Energy’s Home Energy Checklist also offers additional ways you can save energy at home.
Protect Your Health and the Environment
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) provides many activities you can do to celebrate Earth Day. Among these, you can:
- Reduce, reuse and recycle
- Conserve water.
- Carpool, bike, walk and ride the bus
- Water your lawn only when it needs it.
- Drive Smart
- Don't Idle
Follow Earth Day Network’s Tips
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Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with efficient CFLs or LEDs.
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Carpool, ride your bike, use public transportation or drive an electric or hybrid car.
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Keep your tires properly inflated and get better gas mileage.
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Stop using disposable plastics, especially single-use plastics like bottles, bags and straws.
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Change your paper bills to online billing. You’ll be saving trees and the fuel it takes to deliver your bills by truck.
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Read documents online instead of printing them.
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Set your office printer to print two-sided.
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Take a shorter shower and use a water-saving shower head.
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Run your dishwasher only when it’s full to save water and energy.
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Conserve water outdoors by only watering your lawn in the early morning or late at night. Use drought-resistant plants in dry areas.
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Turn off and unplug electronics you’re not using. This includes turning off your computer at night.
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Turn off lights when you leave a room.
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Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer.
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Lower the temperature on your water heater.
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Use energy-efficient appliances and electronics.
For more tips, visit the Earth Day Network website.