Over the last couple of years, more landmarks and cities have begun to participate in this event.  This year, Chicago will be participating as will the “Sears” Tower by turning off the spotlights they normally have shining on it.  Other landmarks participating will include Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Great Pyramids, and Sydney’s Opera House.  Also, several corporation will be dimming their lights to participate in Earth Hour including McDonalds, Marriott, Ritz-Carleton, Fairmont Hotels, and Coca-Cola.  Participation includes over 2,800 municipalities in 84 Countires with the numbers growing each year.

Just some interesting facts about Earth Hour.  Participation in 2008 by Chicago helped reduce the amount of CO2 that 104 acres of trees suck up over one hour.  If 100,000 lights are turned off for one hour, that normally would be on, enough CO2 would be averted during this time to equal the CO2 used by an average apartment for one year.

So, what will you be doing for the one hour while the lights are out at your house?  The youngest Frenzel would like to play board games by oil lamp light.  If it wasn’t for the snow on the ground and the cooler weather we are having, I would vote for a night of star watching.

We’ve been using reusable bags for awile in the Frenzel household.  We keep several in the car so when we go into a store we can take a bag or two in for our purchases.  So, when Jeff and I saw reusable bags at the Home Show, we were pleased that more people would be exposed to more options for bags but we didn’t stop on our first pass by.  I told Jeff that I was intrigued though and would go back after we saw everything at the show.  Well, I did.

The 4ever Bags  are a product from the non-profit group Campaign of the Environmental Coalition.  That is a positive in my book.  The bags fold into themselves into a little bag so their footprint in the car is really small while giving you a pocket to put your “club” card in when it’s open.  Another positve!  They are washable which is not something that is easily done with most that you purchase from the stores for $1.   The bags are made of a “parachute” type of material and can hold up to 40lbs.  When I purchased 3 bags from 4ever Bags they came with a clip which helps keep unused bags together and then when the bags are loaded, it helps to carry and keep them together easier in your car.  And one of the best items about the 4ever Bags – They are Fair Trade Certified.

No, I don’t own stock in either 4ever Bags or the Campaign of the Environmental Coalition.  I just think that it is a really great product that I purchased two sets of at the Denver Home Show.  If you want to look at the Campaign of The Environmental Coalition, please click on their name in this sentence.  To learn more about 4ever Bags, click on their name and you’ll be taken to their web site.  Please note that the 4ever Bags website does have a “person” that comes on to the screen to describe and show the product so you can either watch and learn or hit the pause button at the bottom of the web page.

7th Generation has a good newsletter to help you “think” about your footprint and other resources we use day to day.  Initially we signed up to receive coupons but along the way we’ve learned more which have helped us rethink our shopping and our usage of certain products.   

If you are interested in signing up for the 7th Generation Newsletter to help you think more about the world and your impact on it, visit 7th Generation at www.seventhgeneration.com/learn

Besides recycling, we like to do other items that are good for the environment.  We have changed out the lightbulbs at the house to CFL’s.  When we need new appliances, we try to purchase energy star.  Besides these items, I subscribe to a blog called “Ideal Bite.” 

Ideal Bite advertises themselves as providing “bite-size ideas for light-green living.”  Each day I receive tips that provide little tips to help us be just a little more green.  Today’s tip was where to find cardboard boxes for moving and what to do with them when you are done.  Before Valentine’s Day, one of the tips was where to find “harvest friendly” chocolates.  If you are interested in receiving daily tips to help you and the environment, visit www.IdealBite.com .