Saturday's celebration of Earth Day has sent us looking for ways to celebrate and make every day Earth Day. Mother Earth News, a 35-year-old popular magazine for those who want to sustain and enjoy the planet, shares a few of their ideas with readers in their April-May issue. We pass along a few of them.
Instead of buying a hybrid, how about considering a motorcycle? Mother Earth News publisher Bryan Welch bought a $3,000, used BMW that gets about 60 miles per gallon. Check your air pressure when you fill up. If every driver kept their tires inflated, we could save up to 2 billion gallons of gasoline per year.
Use grass clippings and kitchen scraps as mulch and nutrient rich soil for gardens and don't mow your grass too short. Reduce your unwanted mail by registering your name with the Mail Preference Service sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association. It'll help reduce the amount of mail sent to you.
Program your furnace to save money. Set a programmable thermostat to hit target temperatures when you're home and to pull back by 8 to 10 degrees while you're away or sleeping. It'll save 10 percent on fuel costs in a typical home. Replace your standard incandescent light bulbs with superefficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. The bulbs cost more but can last up to 13 times longer and use a quarter of the electricity.
The average American meal travels 1,500 to 2,500 miles before consumption. Patronize farmers' markets and eliminate that fuel and environmental costs. Clean out the closet and reduce land fill waste by joining the Freecycle Network and convert your junk into someone's treasure. Finally, the magazine recommends e-trash be recycled. Find a home for your old computers, cell phones, televisions and other electronics.
Editorials
Make every day Earth Day
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Show them some love
Oklahoma joins bus drivers and riders throughout the nation in the “Love the Bus” campaign to raise awareness and appreciation for the thousands of school bus drivers and aides who safely transport children to and from school each day....
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Cuts in mental health short-sighted at best
When state budgets tightened up three legislative sessions ago, mental health and substance abuse treatment appropriations amounted to low-hanging fruit. It was easy for lawmakers to reduce treatment for mental health consumers and ...
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‘Flavor of the month’
State Republicans have invited all of the GOP presidential candidates to Oklahoma. Former candidate Herman Cain came to Oklahoma City in early December, just days after he suspended his campaign. Rick Santorum brought his charged-up ...
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Gov. Fallin says tax cuts bring national attention
Rating agencies are often courted by state, county and local officials seeking better ratings and thus lower interest costs on long-term debt financed through bonds. Oklahoma’s governor and other officials called on various agencies this ...
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AA’s decision a blow to Tulsa
The announcement by American Airlines that it will likely lay off almost a third of its Tulsa work force is terrible news. Looking for the bright side, the huge Tulsa maintenance facility will keep almost 70 percent of its employees ...
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Oklahoma kids rank low
Oklahoma kids continue to rank low in terms of poverty, health, child welfare, early childhood development and hunger....
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Schools deserve best equipment, teachers
A candidate at a state Senate forum this past week repeated the oft-made comment that Oklahoma has too many school districts. We agree some consolidation is needed, and it’s happening. But the candidate went beyond that and said we don’t ...
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Thanks from our readers
Oklahoma senators serving on the finance committee wisely killed a bill that would effectively tax newspaper and magazine subscribers. It came up on the session’s first full day of work and was quickly dispatched by a 13-1 vote....
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Governor, chancellor push higher grad rates
Oklahoma has long had college students who leave campus before finishing their degrees. They leave to take jobs in order to support families, they get behind in studies and don’t see a way out, or they just need a break. Additionally, some ...
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A turning point in Oklahoma’s health
The governor’s announcement of a tobacco ban on any state-owned or leased properties may be a turning point in the state’s push for better health. We’re currently ranked 48th in the United Health Foundation rankings. We made some progress, ...
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