It is easy to be Green!
Sorry, Kermit... you're wrong... It is easy to be Green in your own life!
You can be a member of a Green Team at your own home and work! Here are some ways to reduce your usage of natural resources:
Recycling
Bring your old cell phone or collect your friends’ phones and bring them to the zoo to be recycled. They can be recycled in the lobby of the administration building which is on your right before you go through the front ticket gate. The money obtained from your recycling goes directly to fund conservation programs around the world. You can also drop these phones off at any cell phone retailer store like Office Depot, Best Buy or Staples locations to be recycled. Learn More
Water Conservation
It is hard for most people to think about water conservation in South Florida when we have the ocean around us and the heavy rains of summer. But, we get our water from an underground aquifer that is slowly disappearing from over use and periodic droughts. Learn More
Energy Conservation
Energy conservation not only helps reduce your carbon footprint and use of natural resources but it can also save you money!
Take the $750.00 Savings Challenge to learn how you can save money with some simple measures.Visit Miami Dade County, Go Green to Save Green website to pledge now and save. Click on the "learn more" icon to read more about the great programs and ways that you can get involved in. Learn More
Here are some easy tips to do and great programs to get involved with:
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Lighting
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Appliances
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Air Conditioning
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Pools
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Transportation
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Home Electronics
Junk Mail
Who likes junk mail? No one that we have ever met… More than 100 million trees are destroyed every year to produce unsolicited junk mail. Did you know that you can stop a lot of the junk mail that comes to your house by taking just a couple minutes of your time?
Here are a few easy steps:
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Stop credit card offers for 5 years by opting-out from credit report company lists by dialing 1-888-567-8688 and going through the brief automated system.
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Stop Valpak and Advo mailing lists at Cox Target Media and complete the mailing list removal request form
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You can also visit the Valassis website to learn more about the Address Removal Policy
Exclude yourself from major national mailing lists by sending a brief request with your name, address and a signature to -
Mail Preference Service
c/o Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are not biodegradable and are a major hazard to wildlife and the oceans you can recycle plastic bags at most grocery stores but the recycling process itself creates a lot of greenhouse gases. A much better alternative is to not use them at all! When you purchase just a couple items, think about asking the clerk to not give you a bag. Ask yourself if you really need a bag to carry a few items a few feet to your car? Reusable cloth bags are available all over the place, they hold more items per bag, are stronger and are easier to carry. Keep the bags in your car at all times and place them near your front door when you are done unloading to help remind you to put them back.
Seafood
South Floridians love their seafood and our oceans! The Monterey Bay Aquarium has created a guide to make your seafood selections more responsible and avoid making choices that contribute to overfishing and exploitation of our oceans. You can look up the type of fish and find out if it is an environmentally wise choice or even look up restaurants and stores that offer environmentally safe choices by visiting their website to view the guide and get more information or visit the mobile website on your phone at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Seafood Watch website. You can also download the Seafood Watch app from the Android Market or iPhone App Store.
