Interesting Environmental Facts

I was searching for a widget to add to the blog that consisted of daily tips about health. I couldn't find it, instead I stumbled upon this website. If we took better care of our Earth, we would be healthier. Period. Here are some facts that that should take just a tiny bite out of your conscience.

• If just 25% of U.S. families used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, we would save over 2.5 BILLION bags a year.
• On the average, the 140 million cars in America are estimated to travel almost 4 billion miles in a day, and according to the Department of Transportation, they use over 200 million gallons of gasoline doing it.
• Over 100 pesticide ingredients are suspected to cause birth defects, cancer, and gene mutations.
• About 1% of U.S. landfill space is full of disposable diapers, which take 500 years to decompose.
• Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil.
• Energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a TV set for 3 hours, and is the equivalent to half a can of gasoline.
• By turning down your central heating thermostat one degree, fuel consumption is cut by as much as 10%.
• Homeowners use up to 10 times more toxic chemicals per acre than farmers.
• One ton of carbon dioxide that is released in the air can be prevented by replacing every 75 watt light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.
• Deserts are advancing and taking over the land. In Mali the desert has taken over about 220 miles in as few as 20 years. Deserts can be repelled, by developing tree-planting projects, having better agriculture and by managing the land better. However, governments still are reluctant to fund anti-desertification, despite horrific droughts that have occurred in recent years.
• Despite all of the damage we have caused the environment most of it is reversible. We can restore habitats and return species to them; clean rivers; renovate buildings; replenish the topsoil, replant forests. However, these activities do not relieve the worst symptoms of the damage. We still have to fix the source of these problems, us and our vision that we must progress.

They were listed at http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/facts.htm. I recommend reading all of the information provided on this website.