01 July 2021, 16:01
By: Luisa Dahianna Trujillo López
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The summer’s hottest holiday is here with a great responsibility for us. Besides the red, white, and blue we must be thinking about how to integrate a green shade into one of the most harmful days for the planet in our country. Here are 5 down-to-earth options to reduce our impact during this day.
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Avoid charcoal grills. Use pellet grills instead.
Barbeque is important but also pretty harmful. Oak Ridge National Laboratory says that “an estimated 60 million Americans fire up their barbecue grills this Fourth of July, they'll be burning the equivalent of 2,300 acres of forest and consuming enough energy to meet the residential demand of a town the size of Flagstaff, Ariz., for an entire year.” Natural gas grill and electric grill are the two more sustainable forms of outdoor cooking regarding air pollution. You can also purchase solar cooking elements and even think of making a vegan version for your day.
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Have you finished your Independence day with 3 giant bags of disposable tableware? Well, the Earth is not thanking you for that. Instead, you can use your regular dishes and cutlery or compostable flatware made of bamboo.
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Reuse your decoration
Avoid balloons and plastic tablecloths - plastic in general -. Repurpose your lights for different occasions to give this day a festive looking, and think of coloring your food red, white, and blue. Think of exchanging your decoration items with family and friends so you feel you have a whole new set of ornaments every year. Repurpose anything red, white, and blue in your home like vases, jars, or use flowers from your garden. Move away from single-use decorations.
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Rethink Fireworks
It is not a secret, the amount of pollution that comes with fireworks is giant. For this reason, rethink setting off fireworks. A great solution is to see create other fun activities with laser light shows or add a strobe light to your back yard, attend local fireworks, and be part of parades in your town. Use other ways to light up your backyard or sky with LED red, white, and blue string lights, strobe lights, or even lasers instead of traditional fireworks.
In case you still want to keep your traditional fireworks, look for the ones that are nitrogen-rich. They are less harmful to the environment, especially when you light them off in the same spot to avoid forest fires. Finally, remember to clean up the waste in the end.
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Designate a clean-up day for your beach or park and make it positive!
What better way to help than volunteering in your local park or beach? Investigate possible places to volunteer close by or make your own group of tree-hugger friends that would like to take some time during this week to help communities having a clean space after the parties. For example, these eco volunteering events in the area of Arlington, VA are a glimpse of what can be done near your place.
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Enjoy this holiday with your loved ones and have fun, but overall be mindful of how you can be responsible and spontaneous during this time. Read more about how to make your home and the 4th of July celebration more eco-friendly this year.
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Happy holiday!
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