How Can We Make Every Day Earth Day? (Sponsored)

Here are some family activities you can do to foster environmentalism. Sponsored by Sony.

Very few events are celebrated around the globe, but Earth Day is. This year, it’s come and gone. But we’re here to ask: What can we do to show our love of the earth on that day, and every day? On May 31, Sony will release After Earth, an action-packed movie that takes place 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity to leave. It’s the kind of scenario that makes you want to donate to Greenpeace, recycle everything, and start biking every where, immediately. So, in honor of Earth Day, Patch has teamed up with Sony to present these ideas for making every day Earth Day. How can we make every day Earth Day? Begin with little things. Easy things. Obvious things. Things we take for granted each day, and use and/or abuse because of …

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George Carlin

2:51 pm on Monday, May 6, 2013

The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles … hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages … And we think some …   more ›

How to Recycle Batteries in Montgomery County

Find out where to get rid of batteries safely.

With Earth Day falling in April, Patch has put together a series of resources to make recycling easier for you and your neighbors all over the Montgomery County area. For those looking to get rid of unwated or expired batteries, there are more options than you might think.  Household Batteries (A, AA, AAA, C, D, 9v) The good news with most household batteries is that you can throw them out, if you so choose. The issues with throwing these kinds of batteries out in years past was due to their mercury content. However, since mercury in most household batteries has been phased out thanks to the Battery Managment Act of 1996, they are now safe for regular disposal. (Be aware, this is just for A, AA, AAA, C, D, and 9v batteries. All other types…

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Every Day Can Be Earth Day: Plant the Seeds, Inspire Children

Encourage children to love the earth and all will bloom naturally. Here are some family activities you can do to foster environmentalism.

While April 22 was Earth Day, which is celebrated across the entire world, what can we do to show our love of the earth on that day, and every day? Love begins in the home and so does the love for our earth. If you teach your children to respect the earth on every level, they will continue to realize the global impact of environmentalism when they become adults. This is important for the sustainability of life as we know it.   Perhaps we can set off that spark in a child, making them want to learn more about the process and do more to help. If we've done our part, they might strive to become an environmentalist—professionally or at heart. Inspire children, plant the seeds early on, and they will flourish.  We all strive to do "acts of …

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Five Things You Need to Know About Earth Day

Learn who founded Earth Day and why we celebrate it April 22.

Monday marks the 44th annual Earth Day, a celebration that began in 1970 as a protest movement against pollution. Here are five facts about why we go "green" every April 22. 1. We have late U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) to thank for the official Earth Day celebration. But many credit John McConnell, an activist who proposed the day at a National UNESCO Conference in 1969, with founding Earth Day. While McConnell’s earlier Earth Day Proclamation received support from top United Nations officials, Nelson's work to have national teach-ins on April 22, 1970, spurred the national movement that became known as Earth Day. Both men commonly are referred to as Earth Day’s founder. 2. Nelson’s push for Earth Day stemmed from years of frustration …

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Shredding, Recycling, Gardening Demos at Mall Earth Day Event

Montgomery Mall and Montgomery Township Environmental Advisory Committee host the annual Earth Day celebration Saturday. There is also residential paper shredding and electronics recycling.

The Montgomery Township Environmental Advisory Committee is partnering with Montgomery Mall to celebrate the worth of Earth. On Saturday, the Montgomery Mall hosts an annual Earth Day event, complete with information on how to contribute toward helping the environment. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., outside the lower Macy’s, visitors can obtain information and view demos on composting, raised bed gardens, rain barrels, and stormwater management. This area will have children’s crafts, as well as local bike safety and trail guides. At 11:30 a.m., Briar Bush Nature Center will have demonstrations with their animals. Laura Duff, of Montgomery Township, said participating organizations abound this year: Penn State Cooperative Extension, PowerSave …

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Five Things to Know in Lansdale: April 22

Happy Earth Day - Take Two

1. We were incorrect in reporting that yesterday was Earth Day. On that note – Happy Earth Day everybody! Here’s something radical we did around last year’s Earth Day in Plymouth Meeting.  Have you gotten your mulch and chips? 2. Trinity Lutheran Church has its Trinity Church Earth Day today from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Penndale ENACT Club members will be giving out 500 free energy-efficient light bulbs and giving out advice on energy conservation. 3. Don’t call it “Babes on Bikes”; it’s Girls with Gears, and it’s at Spring Mountain today at 7:15 a.m. This is the seventh annual cycling event for CAROL For Heart, hosted by Bikesport in Lower Salford.  Ride 10, 25, 40, or 62  miles. All welcome. 4. A benefit for Brookline Labrador Retriever …

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Earth Day Comes to Montgomery Mall

Free shredding, gardening and green living tips and guest speakers highlight all-day event

Montgomery Township Environmental Advisory Committee and Montgomery Mall host the annual Earth Day event at Montgomery Mall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Here's what you can check out today: The Green Schools Program is managed by the Alliance to Save Energy and sponsored by Direct Energy in Pennsylvania, according to the release There are eight schools that participate in the Green Schools Program: North Penn High School; Pennbrook and Penndale middle schools; Bridle Path, Gwyn-Nor, Hatfield, A.M. Kulp and Oak Park elementary schools. Each school has a green team comprising of teachers, custodians and students, and they identify energy problems and make recommendations for energy savings, according to a press release.

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Don't Throw That Out

Some common household items could be destined for a second life

Recycle. Reduce. Reuse. Repurpose.  You’re sure to hear the green mantra repeatedly over the coming weeks, with Earth Day coming up on April 22.   How can you possibly be more eco-friendly? You already recycle every bit of plastic, aluminum and paper that comes through your house, and you bought a million grocery tote bags so you could quit using plastic bags.  What about finding new uses for old things? This is especially important if you can reuse and repurpose something that might otherwise be headed to a landfill. Here are some great suggestions for breathing new life into junk. Repurpose wooden spoons – As garden markers. Set your tomatoes apart from your strawberries in organic style! These garden markers will be hardier than the …

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No Big Deal

Free Wood is Good on Earth Day

Lansdale residents should take advantage of free mulch and chips for yard landscaping

The celebration of Earth Day is here again, even into the weekend, and everybody has their minds on how to enjoy natural elements in their everyday lives.  Most look to their own yards and plant a tree or fix up their gardens after months of winter weather.  With all of the improvements, you might need to make to bring your yard back to life it can get very costly, very quickly. Lansdale residents can take advantage of an easy free resource for their gardens.  Over the year the borough employees pick up tree limbs that fall during  the course of storms, the collection of christmas trees and shrubs and trees that are dropped off by residents.  All of this great natural material is sent through a chipper and the result is a LARGE pile of …