Think green this holiday season

It has been said that between Thanksgiving and New Years, Americans throw away an extra million tons of garbage each week. This trash includes wrapping, packaging, cards, food, paper plates and napkins, party decorations, bottles and cans, and more. That is a lot of garbage! Have you thought about ways you can reduce, resuse, and recycle this holiday season? We have!

Each year we like to provide our visitors and followers with simple tips on how to be more conscious of our planet while joining in the holiday spirit. You may remember some of these tips from last year because they are too important to leave off the list. We have also added some new tips to help you go green, and hopefully even save a little green this month.

When decorating:

• Buy a potted or “balled” Christmas tree and replant it after the holidays. You can create a year-round habitat for local wildlife.
• If you purchase a cut tree, recycle or mulch the tree for use in gardens and playgrounds. Avoid discarding it in a landfill.
• Trim your tree with edible ornaments like popcorn, cranberries or gingerbread cookies! Later, move your tree into the yard to give the birds a holiday treat.
• Conserve electricity by installing a timer on holiday lights. Even better, invest in LED holiday lights which use 90% less electricity.
• Choose candles made from beeswax or soy. Because paraffin wax candles are made from petroleum and release the equivalent of diesel exhaust when burned, you can save fossil fuel resources, improve your indoor air quality, and reduce your exposure to carcinogens by using beeswax or soy candles.

When gift giving:

• Replace plastic bows with reusable cloth ribbons, and save gift wrap and ribbons to decorate next year’s gifts.
• Wrap gifts from colorful pages of torn magazine, the Sunday comics, or last year’s calendar or old maps and posters.
• Instead of buying wrapping paper, use decorative tins, baskets, or fabric bags. Their reuse will double the gift!
• Send internet greeting cards or send traditional cards made from recycled paper.
• Give holiday gifts of “time” to your family and friends. Nothing is more valuable!
• OR give the gift of an aquarium visit or behind-the-scenes tour.
• Check out consignment stores for gently used (recycled) gift items.
• Use rechargeable batteries for toys/games.

When eating:

• Be healthy and enjoy a delicious cup of organic hot cocoa this holiday season. Cocoa contains twice as many antioxidants as red wine!
• Keep it local. Try to incorporate locally raised food into holiday menus.
• When entertaining be sure to recycle afterwards and cut down on the use paper products.

Everyone can be doing something to help conserve this holiday season. If you have any of your own suggestions, please share them with us!

Wear Blue, Tell Two

World Oceans Day is Monday, June 8th. The  National Aquarium will be celebrating this weekend with a fun, family festival  designed to teach people that ocean health begins at home.  Can’t make it to the Aquarium this weekend? You can still help by wearing blue on Monday to show your ocean pride, and telling people two things they may not know about the oceans and two ways they can take action to improve and safeguard the health of our oceans.

Need some ideas for what to tell people? Click here for a list of simple things you can do to keep our planet healthy.

Wear Blue and Tell Two was inspired by results from America, the Ocean, and Climate Change: New Research Insights for Conservation, Awareness, and Action, the largest-ever environmental study. A collaborative effort between The Ocean Project, the National Aquarium, and Monterey Bay Aquarium, the study points to the pressing need to accelerate knowledge and commitment to ocean health.

Spring cleaning and greening

Spring is here! Flowers are in bloom, grass is getting greener, and the water warming- but is it getting cleaner?

As stated the EPA’s annual Chesapeake Bay report, the Bay Barometer, despite small successes in certain parts of the ecosystem and specific geographic areas, the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay did not improve in 2008. The Bay continues to have poor water quality, degraded habitats and low populations of many species of fish and shellfish. Based on these three areas, the overall health averaged 38 percent, with 100 percent representing a fully restored ecosystem.

As we hear all of the time, one of the greatest challenges to restoration is continued population growth and development, which destroys forests, wetlands and other natural areas. The impact of human activity is overwhelming nature and offsetting cleanup efforts.

Almost 17 million people live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The actions that residents take everyday affect nature and impact the health of local creeks, streams and rivers, and ultimately the Bay. As you set off to enjoy the season and the outdoors,  remember what you can be doing to help protect our waters and the animals that inhabit them:

• Pick up after your pet
• Use phosphorus-free dish detergent
• Volunteer for a watershed group (like the National Aquarium)
• Drive your car less
• Don’t fertilize your lawn
• Plant native trees and shrubs
• Install a rain barrel and rain garden

Happy New Year!

Resolve to make a difference in 2009. Your daily activities and habits have a tremendous impact on the environment. In the new year, make a resolution to enjoy, protect, and respect our aquatic world. Thoughtful choices today can improve the health of the environment and without drastically changing your lifestyle. Use one less plastic bag. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Volunteer during a field clean-up. Carpool. Together, let’s ensure peace and prosperity for all creatures on our blue planet for years to come. Here are nine simple actions to get you started.

Have an eco-friendly holiday

Green Tip #4: Going green for the holidays. When it comes to conservation, it’s the little things that matter most. Give a gift to the environment this holiday season by taking the time to conserve! Here are 10 ways to have an eco-friendly holiday:

1. Buy a potted or “balled” Christmas tree and replant it after the holidays. You can create a year-round habitat for local wildlife.
2. Recycle or mulch a cut tree for use in gardens and playgrounds. Avoid discarding it in a landfill.
3. Replace plastic bows with reusable cloth ribbons. Save gift wrap and ribbons to decorate next year’s gifts.
4. Wrap gifts with colorful pages torn from magazines, the Sunday comics, last year’s calendar or old maps and posters.
5. Instead of wrapping paper use decorative tins, baskets, boxes, or fabric bags.
6. Conserve electricity by installing a timer on holiday lights. And invest in LED holiday lights.
7. Send Internet holiday greeting cards or traditional cards made from recycled paper.
8. Trim your tree with edible ornaments like popcorn, cranberries or gingerbread cookies! Later, move your tree into the yard to give the birds a holiday treat!
9. Enjoy a delicious cup of organic hot coco. Cocoa contains twice as many antioxidants as red wine.
10. Give holiday gifts of “time” to your family and friends. Nothing is more valuable!