10 EASY WAYS KIDS CAN CELEBRATE EARTH DAY

Just in time for Earth Day, TreeLiving's Mia, the 11 year old host of Mia's Show, would like to share her 10 simple ways that kids and their families can celebrate Earth Day this year.

By Mia, host of TreeLiving.com's family eco series "Mia Show'

1. Start out Earth Day by taking a shorter shower.

2.Wear all green or earth-friendly clothing. If you don't already own something then check out your local vintage or used clothing stores rather than buying something new.

3. Carpool to and from school with your friends.

4. Try giving up meat for the day and eat only vegetarian foods.

5. Turn off the TV and go play outside! Visit your local parks and plan a family picnic; go on a family bike ride around your neighborhood; or go on a garbage walk with your family and pick up all of the trash you find along the way.

6. Check out your local library. Many are providing free Earth Day story hours and make sure to read a copy of Dr. Seuss’s "The Lorax" and other earth-friendly books while there.

7. Did you know that batteries can be recycled? Visit your local recycling center and learn what other items besides cans and bottles they accept.

8. Use that recycling money you just earned by purchasing some flower and vegetable seeds and plant a garden. If you don't have a yard, almost everything can be planted in containers. Look around your house to see what containers (old tin cans, jars, etc) would make good pots and plant away!

9. Visit your local zoo or aquarium. Most offer special Earth Day activities and learn first-hand about the natural environment, plants and animals living there and why it's important to save them.

10. In the evening, light some candles and turn off all electricity for at least one hour. Play some board or cards games by candlelight with your family.

About Mia

She may be only 11 years old, but Mia is not your ordinary pre-teen. Between studying for her spelling and math tests, she is host of the environmentally conscious Internet series, "Mia's Show." From Ed Begley Jr. to Lisa Ling, Mia interviews celebrities and other "green" enthusiasts, spreading the word to teach kids, and adults alike, all about green living. Her series airs on TreeLiving.com and tackles tough issues in a language that both kids and adults can understand. She is NOT an actress, just your average 5th grade girl who is doing everything she can to make the planet a better place for future generations. Her high-energy personality and love of Mother Earth have made Mia, not only an entertaining host to watch, but also the perfect spokesperson for the next generation of environmentalists.

Earth Day 2011: A Billion Acts of Green®

In recognition of the power of millions of individual actions, Earth Day 2011 will be organized around A Billion Acts of Green®: Personal, organizational and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably. At over 45 million actions to date, A Billion Acts of Green® campaign – the largest environmental service campaign in the world – is steadily building commitments by individuals, corporations, and governments in honor of Earth Day. A Billion Acts of Green® inspires and rewards both simple individual acts and larger organizational initiatives that further the goal of measurably reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability. The goal is to register one billion actions in advance of the Earth Summit in Rio in 2012. A Billion Acts of Green® website quantifies acts of green through an easy-to-use online registration tool. A Billion Acts of Green® demonstrates the kind of environmental impact that can be made when millions of people, corporations and organizations make commitments, both small and large, to better their environment.

Earth Hour 2011

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries/territories participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries/territories officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

On Saturday 27 March, Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour ever. A record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off. People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Earth Hour 2011 will take place on Saturday 26 March at 8.30PM (local time). This Earth Hour we want you to go beyond the hour, so after the lights go back on think about what else you can do to make a difference. Together our actions add up.

Visit our Beyond the Hour platform to share your stories and to get inspiration from the actions our supporters have shared with us already.

Washington State going green with electric highways

The state of Washington is turning Highway 2 between Monroe and Peshastin known as Stevens Pass Greenway, into the nation's first electric vehicle friendly National Scenic Byway route, installing 2-3 fast-charging EV stations along the 90-mile route.

As Douglas Reiser writes for the Builder’s Counsel Blog, “the Highway 2 upgrade is only a small part of Washington’s Electric Highway plan. The State’s larger plan includes the installation of EV charging stations all along I-5. After the completion of the two stage construction process, Washington will have a border to border electric highway.”

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/washington-builds-first-electric-vehicle-friendly-highway.html#ixzz1CoUkleYB

Going Green by going underground!

IKEA is Going Green!

IKEA, the assemble-yourself furniture company, continues their environmentally-friendly commitment with solar panels on several of their buildings in the U.S. Solar rooftop installations begin on their New Jersey and Massachusetts stores this month, with completion expected by spring 2011. There are already nine other stores with solar panels and eight California locations are expected to go solar next. IKEA already has solar energy systems operational in Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, and Tempe, AZ as well as solar water heating systems in Charlotte, Draper, Utah, Orlando, and Tampa, FL. The Centennial, CO store under construction will have a geothermal system.

IKEA has also promised to buy more of its wood from sustainably managed forests and to use fewer raw materials in its products. As a part of their going green commitment, IKEA does not offer paper or plastic bags - only reusable bags.

Going Green this holiday season

It is easy to save green going green this holiday season. Just check out Inhabitat.com for several green gift ideas under $50. For example, you can save green and help them save green with the Kill-A-Watt plug-in electricity meter that monitors how much energy their appliances are using and lets them know which electronics are worth leaving on and which should be turned off.

Or, if you know someone who loves olives, there is an organic deluxe gift set of three jars of the savory little orbs including lemon-citrus, garlic-stuffed, and sun-dried black olives in a reusable woven bag, plus a koa wood boat for serving!

For more green gift ideas, head over to inhabitat.com.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS - ZERO EMISSIONS RACE NEARING HALF-WAY MARK

The first ever Zero Emissions Race is rolling into Las Vegas, NV on November 22, half-way through the North American leg of an International road tour. The race began on August 16th, 2010 at Geneva, Switzerland, with three international teams driving electric vehicles up to 300 miles a day fueled by renewable energies. Their goal is to complete a race around the world in just 80 days of driving time.

According to Tour Director Louis Palmer, the ZERO Race aims to prove the efficiency and reliability of electric mobility: “The purpose of the race is to show that zero emission vehicles running on renewable energy use technologies that are available and reliable today. With shrinking resources and the impacts of global climate change, the ZERO Race strives to present the solutions for a better, and greener future. This is the powerful message that we want to bring to the World Climate Change Conference in Cancun at the beginning of December.”

The ZERO Race teams and vehicles are judged on speed but also on vehicle reliability, energy efficiency, utility to every day life, design and safety. Almost each day, the teams face these challenges and receive points according to their performance during each trial.

The ZERO Race is a “green” event, and participants are doing everything possible to travel in a responsible way. Any greenhouse gas emissions created from the event, including the shipping of cars and flights by participants, will be compensated by investments into renewable energy projects through myclimate. Each team has already produced enough power for their vehicle from renewable energy sources including solar and wind, and this has been fed into the grid in their home country.The race will come to an end in January where it started: at the United Nations Palace in Geneva, Switzerland.

MGM Resorts International supports the mission of the Zero Emissions Race. Created with a vision to bring a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Strip in Las Vegas, CityCenter is one of the world’s largest sustainable developments, from design and construction to operations and guest amenities. The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded LEED® Gold certification to ARIA Resort & Casino’s hotel tower, convention center and theater, Vdara Hotel & Spa, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, Veer Towers and Crystals retail and entertainment district. This marks the highest LEED achievement of any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas.

You can follow the ZERO EMISSIONS RACE ONLINE at http://www.zero-race.com/. The entire ZERO Race is documented with stories and photos on Zero Race Daily Blog.

ZERO RACE COMMUNITY - Join the Zero Race community for more daily updates and photos about the race. The next Zero Emissions Race is already being planned, and will take place in 2011.

November 15 is America Recycles Day!

Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day. More than a celebration, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. One day to inform and educate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year.Small, simple, daily choices and actions make a huge difference.

By pledging to do more to recycle in your daily life, you are part of the solution! Be proud of your commitment, knowing that you stand with millions of others just like you. Be sure to tell your friends, family and coworkers to take the pledge, too!

Celebrate America Recycles Day on November 15th, but do your part EVERY day to reduce, reuse, and recycle!