4/16/13

With more than 50 percent of Americans using smartphones, one of the biggest environmental hazards comes from the millions of rechargeable batteries that need to be replaced and disposed of every year. One way to help is to conserve battery power whenever possible. According to Blackberry, one mistake most smartphone users make is turn off Wi-Fi when not in use thinking it improves battery life. You should keep it on -- when you do connect to a Wi-Fi network, it offers substantial power savings. Make sure you are adding Wi-Fi networks and hotspots to your phone so you can take advantage of this whenever possible.

4/15/13

It's getting close to that time of year when weekends will be spent mowing the lawn, so take the time now to get your lawnmower blades set and sharpened. Your local lawnmower repair shop will sharpen the blades to help make sure you leave a clean cut on each blade of grass. Properly sharpened blades will make your lawn more resistant to disease and better able to retain moisture, which means you won't need chemical herbicides and fertilizers all summer long.

4/14/13

Do you have some old house or car keys in your junk drawer that you are not quite sure what to do with? Donate them to Key for Hope, a nonprofit organization that collects old keys, separates them based on metal type and recycles the scrap metal to raise money for their work to end hunger, poverty and homelessness. All of the money raised goes to food pantries, and it's as simple as mailing your keys to the organization. Learn more at keyforhope.org.