If you’re doing work on an older home or school building, be sure to follow lead-safe work practices. Contain the work area and keep kids and pets away. Minimize dust. And clean up thoroughly. Lead is harmful to adults and children, and common renovation jobs like sanding, cutting, or demolition can create lead dust and chips. See more on renovating from the EPA.

[Read more →]

A full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, but taking a five-minute shower saves water by using 10 to 25 gallons. Put a little timer or clock near your shower so you can see how fast you are. Save even more water, and money on your water bill, by installing a water-efficient showerhead, or ask your landlord to install one if you rent. The EPA has more about using water wisely.

[Read more →]

You might not realize it, but on a pesticide container, the label is the law. Pesticide product labels provide critical safety information for handling and use. Pesticides are powerful substances, but when used according to the label they are safe and effective. So … always use pesticides safely, at home or in the field. Read the label first!

[Read more →]

Before buying a new or used vehicle (or even before renting a vehicle), check out EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide and the jointly-run EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide. These resources provide information about the emissions and fuel economy performance of different vehicles.

[Read more →]

During hot weather, don’t top off your gas tank. Refuel your car or truck in the early morning or the evening when it’s cooler. A small fuel spill may not seem like much, but every spill evaporates and adds to air pollution, and fuel pumps with vapor recovery systems can feed a spill back into their tanks – after you paid for it.

[Read more →]

High school students can study links between everyday actions at their high school, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. Become a “climate ambassador” in your school or neighborhood and motivate friends and community leaders. The EPA offers lots of suggestions for how to get involved at school.

[Read more →]

Regular exercise makes us feel great and keeps us healthy. Before you head out for your workout or run, check the air quality forecast for your local area. You can find out when air pollutants such as ground-level ozone or airborne particles are at acceptable levels where you live. Go the the federal government’s AIRNow site to check your air quality.

[Read more →]

Test your home for radon. Radon is a naturally occuring, odorless gas that can seep out of the ground into your home. But as the second leading cause of lung cancer, radon is responsible for over 20,000 deaths a year. Fortunately, a home radon test is easy to do, and homes with high radon levels can be fixed. Visit the EPA site to get a radon test

[Read more →]

Heading to the beach? Americans take almost two billion trips to the beach every year, but people who swim at the beach sometimes get sick because the water is polluted. The good news is in the state where the beach is located, you can check with the state office to find out about the beach water – before you go. The EPA let’s you check beach water quality where you live.

[Read more →]

Be creative as you look for new ways to reduce the amount or kinds of household waste. Give cardboard tubes to pet hamsters or gerbils. Plant seeds in an egg carton. Make a flower pot out of a plastic ice cream tub. By thinking creatively, you will often find new uses for common items and new ways to recycle and reduce waste.

[Read more →]

By switching to a reel lawn mower, you will not only stop gas emissions but help your grass grow. Grasses are best cut at three to four inches long to keep the grass healthy. The reel lawn mower is a people-powered way to reduce the more than 800 million gallons of gas Americans used annually to mow and trim lawns.

[Read more →]

Recycle your plastics. Both #1 and #2 plastics — your soda bottles, milk jugs and many shampoo bottles — are recyclable through your municipal service or local collection centers. Remember to rinse and empty them before tossing them into the recycling bin. And when in doubt about a plastic, leave it out so it doesn’t contaminate the recyclables, according to The American Chemistry Council.

[Read more →]