31 Green Tips to Celebrate Earth Day Weekend in Style.

by Bike Power Weekend Co-Sponsors.

On Earth Day 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the death of 11 men. Two days later, as the DWH rig sank, the world became witness to a gusher that spewed at least 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the open waters of the Gulf. (As you can imagine, no corporate or government official is making it easy to find the exact amount of oil that gushed from the wells.) By comparison, the Exxon Valdez tanker spill of 1989 dumped 32 million gallons (not barrels) into Alaskan waters...

For Earth Day Weekend on April 20-22, 2012, conscious creatives and organizations that are working for a more sustainable world have teamed up to rename BP as Bike Power. As President Obama reminds Americans, "The most important thing we can do to reduce the price of gas is to reduce our demand on oil." So, for one weekend, to celebrate Earth Day, to reduce oil demand and to commemorate the lives and livelihoods lost in 2010, the Bike Power Weekend organizers are challenging all Americans and citizens worldwide to garage the car and self-power their lives. Who knows what kind of insights and changes can be made during this weekend long return to a simpler, slower life where we reduce our reliance on all petroleum products to as close to zero as possible?

Below please find 31 Suggestions for the 1st Annual Bike Power Weekend. Please forward this information to your local paper, list this on your Facebook page and tell your friends. Invite everyone to learn more at the Facebook.com/BikePowerWeekend event page. Add tips of your own to this list as well!

31 Suggestions for Bike Power Weekend
There are no rules. We just encourage you to find ways to use less oil and petroleum products. Here are some suggestions:

1. Gift a bike to your local Goodwill or children's advocacy group, so that those in most need can pedal their way to health and greater fiscal health, too. FYI: If you get a receipt from Goodwill you can deduct this as a charitable contribution on your taxes!
2. Ride a bike to work and for your chores. Plan now to make this happen all weekend long.
3. If you can't ride a bike or walk, choose mass transit or carpool, instead of driving.
4. Videoconference, instead of flying to a meeting.
5. Use canvas bags instead of plastic.
6. Eat local, organic and low on the food chain. (This means, no chocolate or coffee. for Americans and Canadians. Acck!)
7. Plant a tree.
8. Pay bills online.
9. Reduce, Re-use and recycle.
10. Compost.
11. Replace your light bulbs and CFLs with LED lighting.
12. Test drive an electric car.
13. Send this article to your local newspaper and ask them to publicize Bike Power Weekend.
14. Send this article to 10 friends and ask them to send this article to 10 friends.
15. Join the Facebook community page at http://www.facebook.com/BikePowerWeekend
16. Have a great time promoting clean, green healthy living. Include kids & teens.
17. Join Time's Up! Environmental Group. If you live in NYC, participate in Time's Up! Polar Bear Ride on April 22, 2012 at 1:30 p.m., starting at Union Square South.
18. Learn how the Netherlands and Germany promoted physical and fiscal health through their bike-centric societies in Natalie Pace's HuffingtonPost article, "Green. Peace."
19. Stop investing in oil in your 401K, IRA, annuity and pension. Learn more in the free BlogTalkRadio.com show on April 19, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. PT (noon ET). (Call-in number: (347) 215-7305.) Read the article on Green Investing to learn how investing in a cleaner, greener world pays the highest return.
20. Invest in a clean energy exchange traded fund. Search iShares and PowerShares for options. Here are three possibilities: (ticker symbols) ICLN (iShares), PBW (PowerShares) and PBD (PowerShares).
21. Use wind, solar and geothermal energy to power your home, office and electric car.
22. If you must drive, gas up on Thursday and don't refuel until Monday.
23. Get creative about avoiding oil for an entire weekend!
24. Share your solutions and experiences on the Facebook Bike Power Weekend event page and with your friends.
25. Organize a Critical Mass Bike Power Weekend bike ride in your town or city for Friday, April 20, 2012 (and the first Friday of each month thereafter). Get more information and/or post your event at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass
26. Unplug your cell phone chargers immediately after your phone is charged. (Leaving it plugged in is like leaving the lights on all the time -- a big energy drain.)
27. Tour the first platinum LEED rated home in the U.S. online at LivingHomes.net.
28. Join or start a Bicycle Advocacy Group to make your community more bike-friendly and to raise awareness of the benefits of bikes through advocacy, programs, education and outreach.
29. Get more green tips in the Energy Savers Guide at http://www.energysavers.gov/tips/.
30. Buy and use less of everything!
31. Parents: Check out this cool bike/stroller and share the link to TagaBikes.com with your friends.
    
     

Yours in Peace, Green, Health and Prosperity.

2012 Bike Power Weekend

2012 Bike Power Weekend Co-Sponsors
Adair Custom Design offers a full-service array of graphic design that includes: marketing, branding, business-identity, event stationery and invitations.
Gulf Restoration Network is dedicated to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf of Mexico region.
LivingHomes creates homes and communities that inspire people, foster family and community interaction, and make modern life easier, healthier and more comfortable, while achieving platinum LEED rating sustainability.
Natalie Pace is the author of You Vs. Wall Street and Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is. She has been adding a splash of green to Wall Street and transforming lives on Main Street for more than a decade.
Occupy North Carolina: working collectively in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and the Occupy Movement Worldwide for a better tomorrow.
Time's Up! Environmental Group uses educational outreach and direct action to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city.
Trish Martin
(your name and your organization here)

and Conscious Creatives around the world