HOUSTON — The first Earth Day started in April 1970, before the U.S. had an agency solely dedicated to regulating environmental protection. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin spearheaded a day of demonstrations across U.S. cities. Twenty million people showed up to take a stand against polluting the planet. Eight months after the demonstrations, congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The KHOU 11 Verify Team turned to our list of reliable sources to get the answers to the most-searched questions Texans are looking for on Earth Day.
THE SOURCES
EPA
NOAA
U.S. Department of Energy
Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT)
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
City of Houston, Solid Waste Management
WHAT WE FOUND
1. Measuring Your Carbon Footprint
People are going greener for Earth Day, while also trying to find out how much of an impact their household is having on the environment. The EPA offers an online calculator to measure and tabulate your carbon footprint. The tool looks at home energy, transportation and waste.
According to NOAA, there are other modifications families can make to make the planet healthier. This includes driving less, conserving water, opting for reusable shopping bags and switching to using long-lasting light bulbs.
2. Energy Savings
Helping protect the planet can also mean financial savings for homes. According to the U.S. Energy Department, your home's air conditioning and heating can make a big impact. The agency says families can save money by keeping the difference between the outdoor and indoor temperatures smaller.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has a new feature on its website to provide customers with information on their supplier's tips on ways to save money and power.
3. Recycling
The two most searched-for recycling topics across the country and in Texas include getting rid of old electronics and disposing of greasy pizza boxes.
ELECTRONICS
According to the EPA, people have three ways to help reduce the impact of smartphones on the environment. First, consider giving away or donating your phone after it has been scrubbed of all your data. Secondly, you can make some extra cash reselling your phone through a reputable site. The EPA also encourages smartphone users to take advantage of your service provider's buy-back program. Thirdly, you can drop your old phone off at an electronic recycling location. For every million phones recycled, there's less mining that needs to be done for elements inside the phone including Copper, Silver, Gold and Palladium.
In Texas, the state requires television and computer equipment manufacturers to offer customers the chance to recycle.
For televisions, click here.
For computers click here.
PIZZA BOXES
The KHOU 11 Verify Team found that when it comes to recycling greasy pizza boxes answers will vary by city. According to the City of Houston's Solid Waste Department's online resource determining what's recyclable and not, pizza boxes with food residue should be tossed in the trash.