Going Green for Earth Day

Tuesday, April 22 is Earth Day.
Our Troop is working on a try-it called "Earth is our Home".
To save paper, we decided not to send home any paper or notes today.

Today we made a glass cleaner, picked up trash around the school playground and brought home a pack of seeds to plant at home. To complete this try-it, talk to your girls about ways to recycle at home, ways to save energy and natural cleaning methods. Here are a few facts to consider with your family:

• Americans will generate 246 million tons of trash this year alone

• We will throw away 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars
  
• 36 billion aluminum cans
  
• packaging alone accounts for 33 percent of the trash we make
• If each of us just lowers the thermostat 2 degrees in wintertime and raises it 2 degrees in summertime, we could each save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year
• Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees

Here are a few websites that you, your Girl Scout and your family may find interesting:

• http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/human-footprint/
• http://ww2.earthday.net/
• http://www.recycling-revolution.com/

At home to complete this try-it if you do not already recycle paper, aluminum, plastic, and/or glass, begin this project with your Girl Scout.

Save energy! Unplug electrical items when not in use. Turn off lights.

Make Clean & Green cleaning products. Today we will have made a Glass Cleaner (which also good on tile or laminate floors). You can also use Baking Soda & water to clean bathroom or kitchen sinks. For a wood polish, combine 2 parts of Olive Oil with 1 part of lemon juice, dip a soft clean rag into mixture and polish away.

And talk to your Girl Scout about what it means to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.