Live Green In Texas

Plano launched a new Live Green campaign in January and I've really been into it. I have a special fondness for our enviornment, in which we and our children need and use every day. I have a special fondness for our water supply, which can be wasted and abused at the drop of a leak, yet is essential for survival. I have a special fondness for our the air we breath and the ozone that protects our skin and lungs. I'd bet that you have a fondness for these things too. Taking action is crucial to saving the enviornment. I have made a commitment to about six of the items below...we already do the rest! From the City of Plano website, Enviornmental Services Department; Live Green in Plano:

*Add a new kind of recyclable to my cart (newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, mixed office paper, shredded paper, telephone books, paper bags, chipboard or boxboard, aluminum, steel/tin cans, plastic #1 and #2 bottles, empty aerosol cans and glass)
--Or in Dallas, call and request one of the new blue recycle carts that are available for the new recycling program!

*Buy products with less packaging or buy in bulk

*Donate, sell or buy used goods

*Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs

*Set my water heater at 120°F (instead of the typical 140°F) and save about 8 percent in energy costs

*Switch to a green energy provider (wind, solar) (PowerToChoose.com)

*Install a programmable thermostat

*Shorten my showers by one minute to cut my indoor water consumption

*Install rain sensors on my irrigation system

*Apply compost to my lawn and landscaped areas to improve my soil and reduce the need for extra watering

*Add 4 to 6 inches of mulch around my plants to cut my outdoor watering needs

*Purchase a hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicle

*Use DART or carpool

*Attend the Live Green in Plano Expo 2007 on May 5 and learn more about how to help the environment while saving money

*Sign up for one of the City-sponsored classes or programs about composting, water conservation and other green-living topics

*Take advantage of Plano Environmental Services programs and services, such as home collection of household chemicals and yard trimmings, the Electronics Recycling Program, the Household Chemical Reuse Center and Plano Material Exchange

*Be an advocate for a green lifestyle at home and at work

LIVE GREEN, TEXAS!