14th GREEN TIP TO SAVE MOTHER EARTH Broken scientific apparatus like thermometer, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, and float valves and other things that have mercury on should be disposed properly. Avoid throwing them in rivers for mercury is toxic and poisonous.
Mercury
* Mercury is a chemical element with symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum. * Mercury poisoning can result from exposure to water-soluble forms of mercury (such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury), inhalation of mercury vapor, or eating seafood contaminated with mercury. * Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches, mercury relays fluorescent lamps and other devices, through concerns about the element's toxicity have led to mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers being largely phased out in clinical environments in favour of alternatives such as alcohol- or galinstan-filled glass thermometers and thermistor- or infrared-based electronic instruments.
Mercury can be found in four different forms: * Mercury metal, which is a silver-gray liquid, is harmful to humans when it is exposed into the air and consequently breathed into the lungs. * Methylmercury "may be taken into the body by eating certain saltwater and freshwater fish, especially larger fish at the top of the food chain, such as shark, swordfish, largemouth bass, and chain pickerel." * Inorganic mercury compounds can be found in batteries, over the counter drugs, ointments, nasal sprays, and some herbal medicines. These compounds may be harmful if breathed or swallowed. * Phenylmercury can be found in latex paints (made before 1991), exterior and oil based paints, caulks, eye area cosmetics, and toiletries. Phenylmercury can be breathed in vapor form, passed through the skin, or swallowed.
How to Dispose Mercury
Mercury is an extremely toxic heavy metal. Though you might not have any mercury thermometers in your home, chances are good you have other items that contain mercury, such as fluorescent or other mercury-containing light bulbs, or mercury-containing thermostats. If you break a mercury thermometer, thermostat, or fluorescent bulb you need to be a lot more careful cleaningup the accident than you might think. Here are some things not to do, plus recommendations for the best way to clean up after a mercury release or spill. You can visit the US EPA site for additional help in cleaning up after an accident involving mercury .
What Not to Do After a Mercury Spill * Don't vacuum up the spill or breakage. This will release mercury into the air and greatly increase the level of contamination. * Don't sweep up the mercury or broken glass with a broom. This breaks up the mercury into smaller drops, increasing its surface area so that more mercury gets into the air and spread around. * Don't pour mercury down the drain. It can clog your plumbing and seriously pollute your septic system or the sewer system into which your plumbing drains. * Don't wash mercury-contaminated clothing. This contaminates your washing machine, all of the other clothes in the load, and the water that is washed down the drain. If you use a clothes dryer afterwards you're releasing mercury into the air and essentially poisoning yourself. * Don't do anything that would spread the mercury or cause it to become airborne. * Don't track it around on your shoes. * Don't re-use any cloth or sponge that came in contact with the mercury, ever.
Now that you have an idea of what to avoid, here are some steps to take. How to Dispose of a Broken Fluorescent Bulb
Fluorescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury. Here's what to do if you break a bulb: 1. Clear the room of people, especially children, and pets. Do not allow children to help you clean up. 2. Shut off the heater or air conditioner, is applicable. Open a window and allow the room to air out at least 15 minutes. 3. Use a sheet of paper or cardboard to scoop up glass and metal pieces. Deposit the breakage into a glass jar with a lid or a sealable plastic bag. 4. Use sticky tape to pick up the smaller pieces of debris. Drop the used tape into the jar or bag. 5. While paper and tape should be sufficient to clean up breakage on a hard surface, you may need to vacuum a carpet or rug. Vacuum only after all visible remains have been cleaned up and then dispose of the bag or debris with the rest of the clean-up. If your vacuum has a canister, wipe it clean with damp paer towels and dispose of the used towels.
If the break occurred over clothing or bedding, the material should be wrapped up and thrown away. Check with the waste disposal regulations where you live. Some places will allow you to throw away broken fluorescent bulbs with other trash while others have more stringent requirements for this type of waste disposal.

Human Exposure to Mercury

References: * http://chemistry.about.com/od/metalsalloys/a/how-to-dispose-of-mercury.htm * http://www.uvm.edu/~vlrs/doc/mercury.htm * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(element) * http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/hg.htm * http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs361/en/ * http://www.epa.gov/mercury/exposure.htm

GREEN TIP 13 TO SAVE MOTHER EARTH Be kind to trees. As much as possible use forest products and timber very well with optimum efficiency. Use both sides of paper. Use pencils until they become as small as possible, and don’t play with matches. Try to get involved in tree planting in your local conservation program. This could be fun as trees can give us added oxygen, shades for people and a refuge to different insects and birds. 10 Reasons Living Trees Are Valuable
The trees around us are extremely important and have always been necessary for improving the human condition - both during its life and after harvest. It is not a stretch to believe that without trees we humans would not exist on this beautiful planet. In fact, some claim can be made that our mother's and father's ancestors climbed trees - another debate for another site.
So, trees are essential to life as we know it and are the ground troops making up an environmental frontline. Our existing forests and the trees we plant work in tandem to make a better world. Here is a short list of reasons trees are necessary for improving our worldly condition.
1. Trees Produce Oxygen
Let's face it, we could not exist as we do if there were no trees. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. What many people don't realize is the forest also acts as a giant filter that cleans the air we breathe.
2. Trees Clean the Soil
The term phytoremediation is a fancy word for the absorption of dangerous chemicals and other pollutants that have entered the soil. Trees can either store harmful pollutants or actually change the pollutant into less harmful forms. Trees filter sewage and farm chemicals, reduce the effects of animal wastes, clean roadside spills and clean water runoff into streams.
3. Trees Control Noise Pollution
Trees muffle urban noise almost as effectively as stone walls. Trees, planted at strategic points in a neighborhood or around your house, can abate major noises from freeways and airports.
4. Trees Slow Storm Water Runoff
Flash flooding can be dramatically reduced by a forest or by planting trees. One Colorado blue spruce, either planted or growing wild, can intercept more than 1000 gallons of water annually when fully grown. Underground water-holding aquifers are recharged with this slowing down of water runoff.
5. Trees Are Carbon Sinks
To produce its food, a tree absorbs and locks away carbon dioxide in the wood, roots and leaves. Carbon dioxide is a global warming suspect. A forest is a carbon storage area or a "sink" that can lock up as much carbon as it produces. This locking-up process "stores" carbon as wood and not as an available "greenhouse" gas.
6. Trees Clean the Air
Trees help cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing such pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Trees remove this air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining particulates.
7. Trees Shade and Cool
Shade resulting in cooling is what a tree is best known for. Shade from trees reduces the need for air conditioning in summer. In winter, trees break the force of winter winds, lowering heating costs. Studies have shown that parts of cities without cooling shade from trees can literally be "heat islands" with temperatures as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit higher than surrounding areas.
8. Trees Act as Windbreaks
During windy and cold seasons, trees located on the windward side act as windbreaks. A windbreak can lower home heating bills up to 30% and have a significant effect on reducing snow drifts. A reduction in wind can also reduce the drying effect on soil and vegetation behind the windbreak and help keep precious topsoil in place.
9. Trees Fight Soil Erosion
Erosion control has always started with tree and grass planting projects. Tree roots bind the soil and their leaves break the force of wind and rain on soil. Trees fight soil erosion, conserve rainwater and reduce water runoff and sediment deposit after storms.
10. Trees Increase Property Values
Real estate values increase when trees beautify a property or neighborhood. Trees can increase the property value of your home by 15% or more.
How to Save Trees 1. Learn how trees affect your home. Aside from desert regions, most areas benefit from having plenty of large, shady trees in every neighborhood. They improve air quality, reduce erosion and absorb noise. Big trees protect cities from getting too hot by cooling the environment through shade and evaporation. Without trees, urban areas experience what's called a heat island effect, with streets and buildings retaining heat and forcing people to use extra power to cool their homes. No matter where you live, you can start helping your town right away by saving trees. * As a general rule, large, mature trees (like oak or maple) provide more benefits than small, young trees. That's why it's important to save as many older trees as possible. * Learning about proper tree maintenance will help you become a better advocate for trees. There's a right way and a wrong way to prune trees and take care of them over the years, and if you know the difference you can educate people around you. 2. Find out about local ordinances regarding tree protection.
Every town and city has laws dictating which tree species need to be protected and when and how it's OK to cut down trees. In some areas, trees that are delicate, rare or extremely beneficial are protected by law. Knowing the laws in your area will help you be a better advocate for the trees there. * Get in touch with the city department in charge of tree removal. The department is usually called urban or community forestry. See if they have information on policies they use to determine which trees to cut down. 3. Get involved when you see a tree coming down.
As you become more aware of the specific trees that are beneficial in your area, start noticing when you see them being pruned or cut down. Whether the tree in question is on public or private property, there may be something you can do to save it. Pay special attention to the large, shady trees in your area, since they provide the most benefits and should be preserved if at all possible. * When you see a tree getting cut down, the first thing to do is talk to the person removing the tree and find out why they are removing it. Sometimes trees are damaged or diseased, so they legitimately need to be cut down. In other cases they get cut down simply for aesthetic reasons. * Do research to find out if the tree is being cut down legally. Some species are protected even if they're on private property. If you're concerned that the tree should be preserved, it's time to take action. 4. Do what you can to save the tree.
Speak up to save the tree, rather than just letting it get cut down. Get together with other people who care about saving trees in your area and make it clear that you object to cutting down healthy trees. Even if there's no law against cutting down the tree, if enough people think trees are important and need to be protected, you might be able to create change. Even if it's too late for this particular tree, you'll set a precedent for next time. Here are a few things you can do: * Write a letter of objection to your city forester or city council member. * Start a petition to change policies or protect certain trees. Rally neighbors to get involved in saving the neighborhood trees. * Get the media involved by sending a letter to the editor or contacting a local TV station. 5. Participate in planting days.
As important as it is to protect mature trees, it's also essential to think ahead and plant new trees that will eventually get tall enough to contribute to the canopy, clean the air and help keep temperatures cool. Many towns and cities have organizations like Portland, Oregon's Friends of Trees working to plant trees in areas that have too few. If your town or city doesn't have a similar organization, why not start one yourself? Tree by tree, you can make a difference. * The type of tree you plant matters. Talk with an arborist about which species are native to your area and will eventually get big enough to clean the air and water. Small, ornamental trees won't contribute much. * Buying trees can get expensive. See if there's a nursery nearby that shares your views on trees and could give your group a discount on baby trees.
References:
* http://forestry.about.com/od/treephysiology/tp/tree_value.htm * http://www.wikihow.com/Save-Trees