Earth Day: Save the world by starting at home

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By ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS/Lincoln Journal Star

Earth Day, celebrated in most communities on Saturday, is a time to stop and think about what we are doing to make this planet a better — or worse — place to live.

Spaceship Earth is in trouble. Global warming. Dying oceans and coral reefs. Melting ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland. Forests vanishing. Species disappearing. The list of problems seems endless and insurmountable.

We might seem powerless to change these global problems, but we can be able to improve the place where we live. Sort of taking care of our own backyard.

And that may be a start to solving the bigger problems.

We asked local experts to give us suggestions on what the average person in Lincoln and surrounding communities can do to help improve their environment.

You

-- Develop a sense of place. Learn about the plants, animals and ecosystems of where you live. Spend time and encourage children to spend time outside engaging in exploration.

-- Be informed. Know the facts and the law on environmental issues. Share your knowledge with a friend. Become involved, and actively support causes important to you.

Vehicles

-- Drive smart. A well-tuned vehicle with properly inflated tires burns less gas, which cuts pollution and saves you money at the pump.

-- Keep a trash bag in your car to properly throw away your waste. Don’t litter.

-- Drive less and walk or ride your bike. Most air pollution in Lancaster County comes from motor vehicles.

-- Recycle used auto or lawnmower oil; don’t use it to settle dust or kill driveway weeds.

-- Use alternative fuels like ethanol or consider buying vehicles with hybrid/alternate fuel systems.

Home

-- Turn off lights and appliances when not in use; consider installing control systems to program turning on and off electrical equipment and inside and outdoor lights.

-- Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances and heating and cooling equipment. They are the most energy-efficient appliances available.

-- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, especially those that are on the longest each day.

-- Weatherize, insulate and seal your home. Use caulking and weather stripping. Lincoln Electric System recommends 12 to 14 inches of attic insulation.

-- Keep your thermostat at 78 degrees in the summer, 68 degrees in the winter. Each degree you turn back saves you 3 to 5 percent on your bill and reduces pollution.

-- Haul your household hazardous waste — including old thermometers and fluorescent lights containing mercury — to a collection site sponsored by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. The first one is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at State Fair Park. For details, call 441-8021.

-- Install geothermal heat pump systems in new homes and businesses.

Office

-- Turn off your computer at the end of the day. A monitor left on overnight uses enough energy to print 5,300 copies.

-- Print on both sides of the page. You’ll use half the paper and save trees.

-- Dispose of computers, monitors and other electronic waste properly. Call the city recycling office at 441-8215 or visit www.lincoln.ne.gov, keyword: recycle.

Water

-- Take showers — not baths — and spend less time in the shower. Three minutes in the shower instead of 10 saves about 35 gallons.

-- Install low-flow showerheads and faucets; it will cut water use in half without decreasing performance.

-- Turn off water while brushing teeth; it saves 3 to 6 gallons of water.

-- Wait until you have a full load of wash to do your laundry and save up to 50 gallons.

-- Water the lawn or garden early in the morning and save at least 100 gallons. Be sure water is sprinkling plants and not concrete. Water deeply but less often.

-- Sweep your sidewalk and driveway instead of using your hose.

-- Never dump or wash anything down a storm drain. Most storm lead directly to streams.

Yard

-- Replace bluegrass sod with fescue, buffalo grass or other low-maintenance grasses.

--  Mulch your grass clippings or compost your yard waste in your backyard; compost helps produce healthier soils and plants and conserves water.

-- Use fewer chemicals on your lawn.

-- Plant trees, shrubs and flowers that are native and require less water or fertilizer.

-- Create a wildlife-friendly yard.

-- Use a rain gauge and turn off sprinklers when there has been adequate rainfall.

Recycle

-- Practice the three Rs — reduce, reuse, recycle. In 1960, the average American produced 2.5 pounds of trash per day, compared to 4.5 pounds of trash today.

-- Take outgrown toys and clothes to a second-hand store; also check out those same stores for things you might need.

-- Recycle newspapers but also consider adding other materials to your recycling regimen: cardboard, mixed paper (junk mail), aluminum and tin cans; green, brown and clear glass bottles, and No. 1 and No. 2 plastic containers.

-- Check out the blue pages of the Alltel phone book (pages 42-44) for a map of recycling drop-off sites and solid waste information.

-- Wash empty recyclable containers along with the dishes. They won’t attract vermin while they are accumulating.

-- Reuse foam peanuts and bubble wrap or take these items to a shipping service. But call first.

Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.

Our panel of experts

Becky Seth, naturalist with the Pioneers Park Nature Center; Glenn Johnson, general manager of the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District; Gene Hanlon, recycling coordinator for the city of Lincoln; Russ Reno, spokesman for the Lincoln Electric System; Harry Heafer, Keep Lincoln/Lancaster County Beautiful Program; Cammie Watkins, the Sierra Club office in Omaha; and Rich Webster, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Quality.