Cheap and easy ways to reduce your impact on the environment

Everyone would love to be able to have brand new energy star appliances or solar panels on their roof but these things do not come cheap. However, there are plenty of easy and cheap or free ways to reduce your impact on the planet.

• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
• Fix that leaky faucet.
• According to http://www.green-networld.com/tips/water.htm a dripping tap can waste two gallons of water (nine liters) every minute
• Adjust the temperature in your house by just one degree cooler in the winter and one degree warmer in the summer.
• or instead of turning the heat up, snuggle up in a blanket or heavy sweatshirt
• Change your light bulbs to energy saving bulbs. We did this in my house and we saved almost $100 a month.
• Cover you windows in plastic during the winter to conserve heat and energy.
• Turn the water supply to your hose off during the winter and times you are not using it.
• Carpool with others. This will also save you money.
• Turn off lights and appliances when you are not using them. This seems simple but how many people leave the t.v on at night? or leave the lights on when you leave the room?
• Unplug things you are not using. Yes, even if something is off, it still uses energy if plugged in.
• Take some time off your showers, even if it's only one minute. Everything counts.
• Water your garden at night. This will be a wiser use of the water because less will evaporate and you will have to water less.
• Switch to online billing. This will save all that paper that you just end up throwing out anyway
• Recycle! For a good list of things you can recycle go to: http://eartheasy.com/live_recycling.htm

All the things I listed are either really cheap or free and easy. If everyone does these simple things, we can be on our way to a greener planet. Remember, every bit counts so try to take just one thing from my list and incorporate it into your life!

Things to consider before adopting an dog

It is always a wonderful thing when someone adopts dog, or another animal. The joy animals bring to our lives is indescribable. However, it is a huge commitment that should not be taken lightly. Here's some things to consider before adopting.

• Think about what your life style can handle. If you live by yourself and like to go out a lot or have a job that requires you to work long days, anything besides some goldfish might not be the best idea.
• Animals, no matter what kind, need a lot of attention. Dogs especially are social creatures who want to be part of a pack. They want to be with you and require daily walks.

• Consider what you might like for your new companion. If you are very active and like to go hiking and be outdoors, you don't want a chihuahua. There are many websites dedicated to dog breeds and their informations and their maintainance.

• If this is your first pet, keep it simple. Maybe start with some fish that are easily maintained and work your way up. Some dogs require a lot of exercise or grooming and you don't want to overwhelm yourself.

• Consider what you can physically handle. If you have a small house and small backyard, you want to get a small dog. It's not fair to a large dog to not have adequate room to run around. Also, the larger the dog, the stronger they may be. This may mean you may want to get something smaller that you can handle better or get some doggy obedience training.

• Training is extremly important and unless you have a lot of experience, you should prepare for some doggy obedience classes. Its good for socializing, building a relationship with the dog, and of course, training.

• It's not cheap. Sure, getting a dog from your local pound is cheaper than a breeder but that is not the only expense you will face. You need supplies including:
• Crate, toys, bowls, leash and collar, pooper scooper or pads, bed, training treats, nutrical (puppies), shampoo, brush, training or breed book and flea and tick repellant.
• The food varies and it is important to get a good food. This excludes anything you can buy in a grocery store. Look at the ingredients to see if there natural and that the first ingredient is meat.
• This can get a little pricey especially if the dog is large - and upwards of $50 - 70 per month.
• You'll need to get an intial checkup with the vet and then at least one every year to update the rabies vaccine. If you need to get the dog spayed or neutered it could caost up to $400 or more.
• There is always room for accidentals. The puppy pees on the carpet- carpet cleaner. The dog eats something poisinoness or non edible- trip to the vet. Your house gets infested with fleas- flea bombs. You just never know what they'll do! (but you gotta love em')

• Visit some shelters and actually interact with the animals. Some shelters will even allow the dog to come over for a day to see how they fit. This is important because most people do not realize how much really goes into caring for a dog.

That being said; if you want someone to love you unconditionally, greet you with joy everyday, make you laugh, cuddle with you, console you when you're sad, and over improve the quality of your life- it's time to adopt!

Here are my babies that I adopted...

Welcome!

Hey guys! You are viewing my very first post on my very first blog. I started reading about blogs and got really interested in them so here I am. I want to use this blog to discuss all issues related to animal and earth conservation and going green! I am currently a Biology major with a concentration in zoology and like to stay current. I hope I can write some good articles to spread the word on important issues.