Do you know that it’s Earth Day this April 22nd (this coming Sunday)? It’s a time when we honour planet Earth and recognize important issues like global warming, the greenhouse effects, ozone pollution and what-have-yous.

Now, if you’ve heard of “Going green is easier than you think” but always doubted it, I’ve compiled a list of 10 simple things you can do to help save the earth from HowStuffWorks. These are little things you can do every day to help reduce greenhouse gases and make a less harmful impact on the environment.

1. Pay attention to how you use water. Every time you turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, you’re doing something good. Got a leaky toilet? You might be wasting 200 gallons of water a day. Try drinking tap water instead of bottled water, so you aren’t wasting all that packaging as well.
2. Leave your car at home. If you can stay off the road just two days a week, you’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds per year. Combine your errands — go to the post office, grocery store and shoe repair place in one trip. It will save you petrol and time.
3. Walk or ride your bicycle to work, school and anywhere you can. You can reduce greenhouse gases while burning some calories and improving your health. If you can’t walk or bike, use mass transit or carpool.
4. Recycle. You can help reduce pollution just by putting that soda can in a different bin. If you’re trying to choose between two products, pick the one with the least packaging. If an office building of 7,000 workers recycled all of its office paper waste for a year, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 400 cars off the road.
5. Compost. Think about how much trash you make in a year. Reducing the amount of solid waste you produce in a year means taking up less space in landfills, so your taxes can work somewhere else.
6. Change your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than a standard bulb and use at least two-thirds less energy.
7. Make your home more energy efficient (and save money). Clean your air filters so your system doesn’t have to work overtime. Get a programmable thermostat so you aren’t wasting energy when you aren’t home. When you go to bed, reduce the thermostat setting — you won’t miss those extra degrees of heat or air conditioning while you’re asleep.
8. Maintain your car. Under-inflated tyres decrease fuel economy by up to three percent and lead to increased pollution and higher greenhouse gas emissions. Under-inflation also increases tyre wear, so it will save you money in the long run if you’re good about checking your tyre pressure.
9. Drive smarter. Slow down — driving 60 mph instead of 70 mph on the highway will save you up 4 miles per gallon. Accelerating and braking too hard can actually reduce your fuel economy, so take it easy on the brakes and gas pedal.
10. Turn off lights and fans when you’re not in the room and unplug appliances when you’re not using them. It only takes a second to be environmentally conscious.

Let me tell you a lil’ about Sheila McKenna.

Sheila works in the South Pacific where Conservation International and Kanak tribes of New Caledonia have collaborated for many years to conserve ancestral waters and natural resources. Sheila and her colleagues conducted an intensive biodiversity assessment of 42 coral reefs near New Caledonia’s Province Nord.

Sheila’s work has had a profound effect. Conservation International’s research has laid the groundwork for lasting conservation in the region, inspiring the local government to develop a comprehensive national conservation plan. The Kanak have also invited Conservation International back to work with them on their bid for World Heritage status, a designation made by UNESCO that protects places of cultural and natural heritage around the world.

The Kanak are protecting what, in their words, “belongs to the Earth” and have helped preserve healthy ecosystems that are home to groupers, herrings, snappers, sea cucumbers, and other marine life.

Donate or become a member to Conservation International so that Sheila and other staff can continue their work. Their work with the Kanak and other communities around the globe depends on your membership.

For your information, Conservation International membership starts from USD 35 per year. But if you’d like to make a donation, NO AMOUNT is too small. Visa and Mastercard holders only.

Have you heard of Operation Smile? If you haven’t, please read on..

Operation Smile was founded by Dr. William P. Magee, a plastic surgeon, and his wife, Kathleen, a nurse and clinical social worker. In 1982, the Magees traveled to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers to repair children’s cleft lips and cleft palates. They discovered hundreds of children ravaged by deformities, and although they helped many children, the volunteers were forced to turn away the majority of those who sought help. The Magees saw the need and Operation Smile was born.

Some of Operation Smile’s achievements include the following:

• Since 1982, Operation Smile’s volunteers have provided free re-constructive surgery to more than 100,000 children and young adults and thousands of health care professionals have been trained globally.
• 86% of cash and in-kind donations go directly to programs helping children.
• Operation Smile is able to leverage every $1 donated into $5 in program support.
• Operation Smile has been distinguished by many prestigious awards, including the first $1 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to recognize outstanding contributions made to alleviate human suffering.

And did you also know that..

• for $240 Operation Smile can change a child’s life by giving the gift of a surgery? Revenue in excess of surgical costs are invested into Operation Smile’s sustainability programs, empowering their partner countries to treat more children on their own and making YOUR investment go even farther. The complete Operation Smile model is an investment of $750 per child.
• Operation Smile has created a global medical institution comprised of a worldwide network of teaching hospitals and university partners including Yale University, Harvard University, Chang Gung Hospital and University (China), and the University of Southern California?

So if you’d like to help these children, here’s what YOU can do:

• Donate to Operation Smile. No amount is too little especially if it comes from the heart :) Please note that ONLY Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover cards are accepted.
• Be a medical volunteer, whether you’re a doctor or a medical student. You may want to read about the 80-year-old volunteer, Jo Breitwieser (puts us all to shame).
• Tell a friend about Operation Smile. It takes less than a minute..
• Sign up for the newsletter. This takes even less than 30 seconds and is definitely a GREAT way of learning more about cleft lips and cleft palates.
• Attend an Operation Smile event (if you stay in the US, that is).
• Shop to benefit. Products range from outdoor recreational products to calendars to fine jewellery to “Smile Movie” DVD (an Operation Smile student volunteer’s experience on a medical mission was the inspiration for the feature film “Smile”). Or you may want to check out Operation Smile’s online store for other more customized products.

  So if YOU can make a difference now, WHY wait?