Stories

Everywhere you go, you see bottled water for sale. It’s certainly convenient. But is it really “better”? Here are five facts that say No, bottled water is not the better choice.

Read more: 5 Facts Bottled Water Corporations Don't Want You to Know

WorldGreen and Leonardo Academy would like to thank our first group of volunteers from the UW-Madison Morgridge Center’s WE Badger Volunteers program for their great work this semester! Elise, Beth, Megan, and Carly did a great job for WorldGreen.

Read more: A Thank-You to Our WE Badger Volunteers

Earth Day is here!!! how will you be marking the occasion?  I’ll be participating in a cleanup of my neighborhood park. 

If you’re not sure of how to celebrate Earth Day, we at World Green have come up with a few suggestions:

1.Take part in a local Earth Day event.  Check your local paper or events guide to find out what groups are holding Earth Day events, when, and where.  Fun, educational, and good for the planet; what could be better?

2.If there isn’t an Earth Day event around you, start one!  Gather up some friends and neighbors and go clean up a local park or beach or pull some invasive species.

3.Plant a tree.  Trees sequester carbon, helping to reduce the amount of CO2 that ends up in the atmosphere.  Arbor Day is often celebrated in April along with Earth Day, and planting a tree has become a popular Earth Day event.  Many organizations even give away free saplings on or around Earth Day.  If you do decide to plant a tree, make sure it’s one suitable for your location and conditions.

4.Make an Earth Day resolution.  Your New Year’s resolution may be long forgotten, but you can take advantage of Earth Day for an eco-friendly do-over.  Take a good look at your life and decide what you can change to lower your carbon footprint.  Here are some ideas:

• Pledge to give up bottled water.
• Get in the habit of using your own plate, utensils, and mug at work instead of using disposables.
• Make an appointment for a home energy audit and start the process of greening your house.
• Vow to leave the car at home for trips within a certain radius, or to your favorite nearby locations; use your feet or your bike, or take a bus.
• Promise to take shorter showers, to turn the water off while you brush your teeth, and to find other ways to save water at home.
• “Adopt” a stretch of roadway or part of a park or other public area that you’ll keep clean during the year. 

5.Start a creative project.  Make arts and crafts out of recyclables—great for kids! 

6.Read a book.  Here are some of our recommendations: 

• A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold.  A classic of the environmental movement.
• My First Summer in the Sierra, by John Muir.  Muir was the founder of the Sierra Club and a wonderfully descriptive writer. 
• An Inconvenient Truth, by Al Gore.  Read the book or watch the movie; both are powerful.
• Green Up Your Clean Up, by Jill Potvin Schott.  Great tips for chemical-free cleaning.
• The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability, by Paul Hawken.  This book inspired businessman Ray Anderson, founder of Interface Inc., to revise his entire business model and adopt a sustainable mode of production.  As a result, carpeting manufacturer Interface is now one of the U.S.’s most sustainable companies.
• The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss.  It’s never too soon to start teaching kids about sustainability.7.Try spending the day without electricity.  No TV, no computer, no lights that don’t involve a flame.  It’s harder than you think!

8.Take a walk or a bike ride. Renew your appreciation for our beautiful planet!

If you’ve got an interesting plan for Earth Day, leave a comment on our Facebook page.  We’d love to hear about it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=firdhO1hs3g

Right now, the word “sustainability” conjures images of plants, reusable grocery bags, and recycling bins, but not for much longer. Organizations around the world are creating buildings that will change your mental image of sustainability with architecture that is simultaneously physically and ecologically amazing.

Read more: Changing the Look of Sustainability Around the World