5 ways to use technology to celebrate Earth Day!

Earth Day turns 40 today! My family will be heading out to do some local cleaning up and planting. I've also been doing a bit of researching and Internet scouring to see how the talk of Earth Day is hitting the blogosphere in both technology and environmental talk.

1. A program popping up around the web is the 1 Blog, 1 Tree program. I was shocked to find out that blogs, seemingly paperless entities, have a carbon footprint as well. They explain it as such.

"According to a study by Alexander Wissner-Gross, PhD, physicist at Harvard University and environmental activist, an average website causes about 0.02g (0,0008oz.) of carbon dioxide for each visit. Assuming an average blog gets 15,000 visits a month, it has yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 3,6kg (8lb.). This can mainly be tracked back to the immense energy usage from (mainframe) computers, servers, and their cooling systems."

The good news is that one tree absorbs 11lbs of CO2 per year. As such, the site has asked bloggers to let others know about these facts and, for doing so (and linking up), they will make your blog carbon neutral by planting a tree! Fantastic! (Even if you don't have 15,000 visitors per month, you can still participate and give back!)

2. Children's Science Museums all over the country are gearing up for a week of learning about our Earth as well. As an example, the Children's Museum of Science and Technology in Troy, New York has a special event planned to plant egg carton seed gardens and investigate how seeds grow. The Maryland Science Center has a (free) event planned to help families learn how to live a greener lifestyle. It includes a musical from Bash the Trash. There are similar events happening in Science Centers all over the country. Be sure to contact yours and catch something wonderful today!

3. Is it raining where you are? Stuck inside? This tip comes via Mashable and is one of my favorites as it employs Dr. Seuss. Oceanhouse Media has released an iPhone app featuring the Earth-friendly book The Lorax. This app also can help your pre-and-almost readers as it has tappable words for child interaction. Don't have an iPhone? Head to your library and borrow The Lorax on DVD or kick it old school and read the book!

4. Follow the tips for Geocaching with Kids from my previous post and make it a nature walk as well! Make a list of things that you think you'd like to find on your trip (certain flowers, types of birds or other wildlife). Carry a bag with you and pick up any litter that you find. Take pictures of any plants, flowers, birds or animals that you don't know and identify them together later. And have fun with technology in the outdoors!

5. Use this great Earth Day site to find an event near you. It includes everything from rallies to cleaning up communities to planting trees and beyond. You can search by zip code to find events near you.

Ideas like these prove that technology can be a great help when it comes to the environment. By making it easier to research ideas and find events, busy families find it easier to get involved. No longer do we have the excuse of, “I didn't know that event was happening,” or, “I had no way of knowing that something was going on near me for Earth Day.” As always, you can celebrate Earth Day in your own yard and street by planting a tree, cleaning up any litter or organizing environmental awareness on your own block. If you do, however, be sure to let the blogosphere know so that others are inspired by next Earth Day!

Jenna Hatfield, aka @FireMom on twitter, also writes at Stop, Drop & Blog and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land. When she's not saving the Earth, she works as a freelance writer and editor. She also moonlights as a newspaper photographer.

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Comments

[Jen @ One Moms World]

Thank you for posting the Geo-Caching tips again. We have been wanting to do this for a while here in the mountains :).

[Caryn]

Hey Jenna, I have a tech question for you and wasn't quite sure where to put it. I'm trying to figure out whether to get one of the new mini video cameras that you can plug straight into your computer to download. I have a 5+ year old digital video camera, but it's big, bulky and kind of a pain to whip out at the park. I also tend to forget to charge the battery. The little ones are appealing, but I'm clueless to the quality of picture. Plus, I still haven't even tried my SLR's video taking capabilities. I imagine some combination is the answer. Could you write a pros/cons list of the different types? Thanks! Caryn

[Caryn]

BTW, I actually have half a dozen tech questions for you, but I'm pacing myself. Do you have a preference for how you like to receive questions in general?