NOVEC’s ways to celebrate Earth Day as a family this spring

Contact: NOVEC Public Relations, 1-888-335-0500, [email protected]

MANASSAS, Va. -- Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative notes U.S. progress at reducing pollution since the first Earth Day in 1970 and offers simple ways families can celebrate the event’s 50^th anniversary this spring.

After the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, and President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Fifty years later, the U.S. has reduced emissions from six key pollutants regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards by 74%, despite the soaring U.S. economy and population through 2018. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in March 2020 that carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption in the electric power sector have dropped significantly since 2007.  

To continue making progress, NOVEC suggests six ways to celebrate Earth Day and reduce emissions as a family this spring:

1. Plant flowers in garden beds, planters, or wooded areas. Explain how flowers absorb carbon dioxide, provide beauty, and help bees and butterflies pollenate, which is vital for Earth.   
2. Show children the home thermostat. Explain that each degree set lower on cold days and higher on hot days reduces energy consumption.
3. Show teenagers how to replace heating, ventilation, and air-conditioner (HVAC) filters.  Explain that clean filters help HVAC systems use less energy. Write the installation date on the filter. Set up free home delivery at secondnature.com/novec.
    
4. Replace light bulbs with LEDs. Tell children old-style incandescent light bulbs produce only 10% light while wasting 90% of their energy getting hot. LED bulbs produce almost no heat, use 40-80% less energy, and last much longer.
5. Teach older children to adjust window treatments in their bedrooms to allow sunshine in on cold days and block it on hot days.
6. Lower water-heater temperature. Show children where the water heater is. Tell them an electric heater set at 120 degrees or a gas heater set between “warm” and “hot” saves a lot of energy, as do quick showers.  

Children can learn more about energy at NOVEC’s Kid’s Korner, novec.com/kids.