Earth Day is Here! How To Have a Positive Effect on the Environment

Ask Patty has rounded up all the important articles out there that touch on Earth Day friendliness and has compiled it all here for you today. So let's curl up together and watch Al Gore's movie and like Breanne, our eMarketing Manager always says, "Let's save those Polar Bears!"

Recycle Old Car Batteries, from WTOPnews.com:
Calling all dead car, truck, boat and motorcycle batteries. It's time to get recycled. AAA Mid-Atlantic says roughly five million dead batteries are hanging out around the metro area.

You can turn in your old, used batteries at no cost April 22-24 as part of the Great Battery Roundup. To find a location, click here and enter your Zip Code. Each battery returned will generate funds toward a charitable donation to commemorate Earth Day, AAA says.

"The lead-acid battery is crucial to modern automotive technology and is easily recycled if disposed of properly," said Nancy DeRose, AAA's manager of Battery Services, in a release. "Nearly 99 percent of a vehicle battery can be recycled and used again without removing new lead, or other natural resources from the environment."

To handle used batteries, keep them upright and place them in a sturdy box or plastic container when transporting them for recycling. AAA says if the battery case is cracked or leaking, put it in a leak-proof container. Also do not smoke near or expose the batteries to an open flame, and make certain they will not shift and tip over in a moving vehicle.

Greening Your Car, from Treehugger.com:
Though TreeHugger doesn't advocate driving, we realize that it's still the way that many people get around every day. Whether you're a daily commuter or a weekend wanderer, there are lots ways to green your car use, beyond taking the bus, hopping on your bike or simply not climbing behind the wheel as much.

1) Going the speed limit is the "single most immediately effective thing you can do" and it doesn't matter if you drive a hybrid sedan or an SUV: the benefits are immediate and massively propagating.
2) Proper tire inflation reduces rolling resistance and improves your gas mileage; some say inflating with nitrogen makes tires leak more slowly, and some say it doesn't matter.
3) Take action with Pump 'Em Up if you're looking to get active and help others make their cars green(er), and see where you compare (and add your two cents) with what our readers are driving.
4) Gadgets like the solar-powered car vent can help keep you cool without having to flip the switch on the A/C and further tax your engine and reduce gas mileage.
5) Beware: new car smell is toxic and air quality inside cars is often worse than outside. See where your car ranks and learn some tips for keeping toxics to a minimum in your car's interior.

For more tips about greening your car in preparation for Earth Day, check out TreeHugger's How To Green Your Car guide.