Earth Day: April 22

Environment Quiz:

What's Your Environmental Footprint?

Going "Green" is red-hot these days, but are you really in the know? How big is the human footprint we stamp on the planet, with the little steps we take every day?

1) Is going vegetarian better for the Earth? Meat-eaters who switch to a plant-based diet saveA) A few animals' lives, but not much else
B) Over one hectare of land per ton of food
C) Over 10 hectares of land per ton of food

2) Newer technologies are often better. Buying a brand new, gas-powered car
A) Is less energy efficient than keeping an old car well maintained
B) Is as efficient as driving a hybrid
C) Is more efficient than driving an old car, even if it's an SUV

3) If every American replaced one incandescent light bulb with a fluorescentA) Homes would be much less energy efficient
B) It would be like taking 1,000 cars off the road for one year
C) It would be like taking 1 million cars off the road for one year

4) Everyone needs to get around. The least environmentally-friendly way to travel isA) By car, especially with two or fewer passengers
B) By train, especially slow, multiple-stop trips
C) By air, especially short-haul flights

5) Two passengers flying New York to London return are responsible forA) The emission of 3 tons of carbon dioxide
B) The emission of 20 tons of carbon dioxide
C) The emission of 100 tons of carbon dioxide

6) In the past century, the average global temperature of the Earth rose...A) About 5 degrees Fahrenheit
B) About 1 degree Fahrenheit
C) To a high in the 1980s, but has since dropped

7) Americans account for about 5 percent of the world's population andA) About 50 percent of the world's energy consumption
B) About 25 percent of the world's energy consumption
C) About 10 percent of the world's energy consumption

8) Water shortages are a new reality. At about 500,000 gallons per person per year, Americans consume approximately
A) Double the average in other developed nations
B) Double the average in Third World nations
C) The same as most Europeans

9) Landfills are spilling over, caused by an annual output of about
A) 100 pounds of garbage per person
B) 1,600 pounds of garbage per household
C) 1,600 pounds of garbage per person

10) Swapping a 10-year-old refrigerator for a newer, more efficient model savesA) Enough energy to light your home for 3 months
B) Enough energy heat your home for 6 months
C) Enough energy light and heat your home for one year

Coral Reef

Answers: B, A, C, C, A, B, B, A, C, A,

** EARTH DAY ** April 22, 2007

Dalian, China:

Fast-growing China, shown here during a prolonged heat wave last year, is opening about one coal plant every day this year. Along with the U.S., China is one of the world's leading contributors to the greenhouse gases believed to be largely responsible for the increase in the Earth's temperature.

www.earthday.net/

About Earth Day Network:

Founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network (EDN) promotes environmental citizenship and year round progressive action worldwide. Earth Day Network is a driving force steering environmental awareness around the world. Through Earth Day Network, activists connect, interact, and impact their communities, and create positive change in local, national, and global policies. EDN's international network reaches over 15,000 organizations in 174 countries, while the domestic program keeps over 5,000 groups and over 100,000 educators coordinating millions of community development and environmental protection activities throughout the year. As a result, Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in our campaigns every year.

Earth Day Network’s Mission Statement:

EDN seeks to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. We pursue these goals through education, politics, cultural events, and consumer activism.