10 Easy and Fun Fourth of July and Summer Green Tips

ACE Alumni

|

July 1, 2011

Greenflower

Written by ACE intern Caitlin Grey and ACE DC Educator Daisy Pistey-Lyhne

1. Up in your grill

If your family is having a Fourth of July BBQ…. Buy 100% All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal, natural eco-friendly charcoal! Most coals you can find have dangerous chemicals and emit lots of smoke, but these coals are more natural, better, and burn faster. What’s to lose?

2. Hang me up to dry

Instead of using the energy vampire that is the dryer, hang the laundry out to dry in the warm weather for a natural, cheaper, and easier way to do your chores.

3. Sun Tea!

Instead of boiling or microwaving water for tea, put some tea bags in some water and leave it outside to steep in the warm summer sun for a delicious afternoon treat.

4. Eco-partay

If your family is throwing a July 4th BBQ or Party, encourage your family members to use reusable utensils, plates, and bowls that you can wash instead of paper plates and Styrofoam. It’s classier that way anyway.

5. Enjoy farmer’s markets!

Summer is the fruitiest season—peaches, nectarines, cherries—what’s not to love?? Get out and meet some of your local farmers and support local and organic businesses by getting your groceries at farmer’s markets. Turn grocery shopping into a fun social activity and go with your friends! Find local farmer’s markets near you here.

6. Check out a green summer movie

Stay cool in the movie theater, instead of blasting the A/C at home, when you go to see this movie, The Last Mountain, playing all across the U.S. in July, available here. The movie will give you the down and dirty on the biggest danger in the mountains of America and the air we breathe: coal mined by tearing off the tops of mountains (mountain-top removal mining).

7. Plan a march while the weather is nice!

Maybe you and your friends are just chillin’ out by the pool, getting splashed by belly flopping wonderwhales. Instead, you could be saving the planet! How?! Well, get up off your bikini bottoms or board shorts and plan a youth march against climate change in your town this summer! All the info you need to join with teens around the world is right here: http://imattermarch.org/ iMatter is planning campaigns each month, and you can join them online.

8. Cruise Cool

How fast are you rollin’ with your homies? Roll down your windows in the car if you’re cruising at less then 45 MPH. Use A/C and keep the windows up if you’re speeding above 45 MPH. Read more about it here.

9. Make some eco-friendly popsicles

Make your own popsicles from re-useable packaging, instead of all those wooden sticks and plastic wrappers. Learn how to make popsicles with this blog, and get your own popsicle molds here. There are lots of recipes online and you can make up your own!

10. Participate in DOT Detectives!

Summer is a time for hanging out, summer jobs, and fun projects. And ACE has something for you to do in the fun projects category! To win a $25 Itunes gift certificate or a $100 mastercard giftcard grand prize, participate in ACE’s Summer Contest DOT Detectives! Text Sherlock to 30644 or check our facebook page here at to participate! The contest starts next Monday July 11 and ends Friday July 22.

10 Fourth of July and Summer Green Tips

Written by Caitlin Grey and Daisy Pistey-Lyhne

1. Up in your grill

a. If your family is having a Fourth of July BBQ…. Buy 100% All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal, natural eco-friendly charcoal! Most coals you can find have dangerous chemicals and emit lots of smoke, but these coals are more natural, better, and burn faster, what’s to lose?

2. Hang me out to dry

a. Instead of using the energy vampire that is the dryer, hang the laundry out to dry in the warm weather for a natural, cheaper, and easier way to do your chores.

3. Sun Tea!

a. Instead of boiling or microwaving water for tea, put some tea bags in some water and leave it outside to steep in the warm summer sun for a delicious afternoon treat.

4. Eco-partay

a. If your family is throwing a July 4th BBQ or Party, encourage your family members to use reusable utensils, plates, and bowls that you can wash instead of paper plates and Styrofoam. It’s classier that way anyway.

5. Enjoy farmer’s markets!

a. Summer is the fruitiest season—peaches, nectarines, cherries—what’s not to love?? Get out and meet some of your local farmers and support local and organic businesses by getting your groceries at farmer’s markets. Turn grocery shopping into a fun social activity and go with your friends! Find local farmer’s markets near you here: http://www.localharvest.org/

6. Check out a green summer movie

a. Stay cool in the movie theater, instead of blasting the A/C at home, when you go to see this movie, The Last Mountain, playing all across the U.S. in July: http://thelastmountainmovie.com/theatres/ The movie will give students the down and dirty on the biggest danger in the mountains of America and the air we breathe: coal mined by tearing off the tops of mountains (mountain-top removal mining)

7. Plan a march while the weather is nice!

a. Maybe you and your friends are just chillin’ out by the pool, getting splashed by belly flopping wonderwhales. Instead, you could be saving the planet! How?! Well, get up off your bikini bottoms or board shorts and plan a youth march against climate change in your town this summer! All the info you need to join with teens around the world is right here: http://imattermarch.org/ iMatter is planning campaigns each month, and you can join them online.

8. Cruise Cool

a. How fast are you rollin’ with your homies? Roll down your windows in the car if you’re cruising at less then 45 MPH. Use A/C and keep the windows up if you’re speeding above 45 MPH.

9. Make some eco-friendly popsicles

a. Make your own popsicles from re-useable packaging, instead of all those wooden sticks and plastic wrappers. Learn how to make popsicles with this blog, and get your own popsicle molds here. There are lots of recipes online and you can make up your own!

10. Participate in DOT Detectives!

a. Summer is a time for hanging out, summer jobs, and fun projects. And ACE has something for you to do in the fun projects category! To win a $25 Itunes gift certificate or a $100 mastercard giftcard grand prize, participate in ACE’s Summer Contest DOT Detectives! Visit our contest site at _____________ and text Sherlock to 30644 or check our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/acespace to participate! The contest starts next Monday July 11 and ends Friday July 22.

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