Earth Day in the City of Stuart
April 22nd, 2008
It’s Earth Day, 2008 and that means it is time to think GREEN!
There are many organizations and businesses in and around Martin County that are doing their part to help the environment. But the real impact will come from the individual citizen, let’s all help our environment and keep our city clean and prosperous.
Here are some suggestions on what we can do to think green this Earth Day!
- Change your commute
- If you live in a close proximity to your work, try walking or riding a bycicle to the office. You will save money on gas and have an easier time parking while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity. - Buy Used
- Check local Garage Sales or Thrift Stores for furniture, appliances and other items. You can also check website like Craigslist or Ebay to get good deals on used items. Buying used will often be cheaper and is recycling at it’s finest. - Buy Local
- Help support the City of Stuart and all of Martin County by buying local! Try shopping at the Farmer’s Market. The prices may be higher than what you get at the big chain stores but the quality will be better and the items are local so it cuts down on fossil fuel consumption since the food does not have to be shipped in. - Compost Your Food Scraps
- Composting helps cut down on the amount of waste going to our landfill while at the same time providing you or someone you know with free fertilizer for your own garden. If you don’t have a yard or room for a compost pile, try indoor vermiculture or worm composting. - Change your thermostat and install energy saving devices
- Setting your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter or a few degrees higher in the summer can significantly cut down on your electric bill and help conserve energy. Think about installing solar power to heat your water. Florida Power and Light also has information on how you can save energy here. - Use tap water or install a water filter at home
- Bottled water is expensive, if you think gas prices are high imagine how much you are paying for water every time you spend a dollar or more on a 16 oz. bottle? Bottled water adds significantly to the amount of container waste at the landfill. Use water at home and buy a reuseable container to take with you on your bike or walk. - Make Cleaning Supplies Yourself
- Using simple ingredients like baking soda, soap and vinegar you can make cleaning products that work and are non-toxic. Saves you time, money and improves the quality of life within your home or office. - Think Twice about new electronics
- Waste from cell phones, computers and other used electronics is a growing global concern. Many of you may remember the story that ran last year about a company illegally shipped used American electronics oversea’s for disassembly. The workers in the third world countries were unprotected against the harmful and toxic compounds found inside many electronics, such as Mercury. - Add a meatless meal per week
- We’re not asking you to go vegetarian, but cutting out some of your meat intake can have a significant effect on the Industrial meat production industry. This industry produces large amounts of noxious waste and is damaging the environment. If you must have meat, try switching out for fish caught by your local Stuart fisherman. - Use our library
- Using the library to borrow books or movies rather than buying your own will help to cut down on resource consumption. Not to mention it will save you money, just one more way to think GREEN!
