Dear Friend,

On behalf of everyone at Global Green, we wanted to wish you a Happy Earth Day and thank you so much for your support of Global Green USA this Earth Day and every day.

Thanks to you and other Global Green supporters, tens of thousands of public school students are learning in healthy, high productive green schools that save money, reduce sick days and improve learning. Thousands more in communities such as New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York City, and throughout the country, are living in healthy green affordable housing.

It was four years ago that we announced our Sustainable Design Competition to Rebuild New Orleans Green and today our Holy Cross Project development, with lead funding support from the Home Depot Foundation, is becoming a reality with five single family homes nearly completed and the groundbreaking for the first community center in the Lower Ninth Ward being held later this year. This summer as we mark the 5th anniversary of Katrina, Global Green will help share the lessons learned from rebuilding New Orleans sustainably with other coastal cities at risk from sea level rise caused by climate change.

This Earth Day, here are some important actions you can take to make an impact. Let's make a difference together.

HELP BRING THE PRESIDENT TO A GREEN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL!

The White House and the Department of Education announced a Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge and invited public schools across the country to compete to have President Obama speak at their graduation.

You can help by voting for the Environmental Charter High School...the only green, climate-friendly finalist school. On Monday, April 26, 2010 at 8:00 am EST, public review and ranking of the six high schools finalists will begin at http://WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement.

Global Green is proud to be forming a partnership with the school to help share their successes with other schools throughout the country.

ASK YOUR SENATOR TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Today, we need to call on our leaders in the United States Senate and demand they take urgent and meaningful action on climate change.  Please take a moment to sign a letter to your senator asking them to make passing comprehensive climate and energy legislation their top priority this year.

CLICK HERE TO SEND THE LETTER

PROTECT CALIFORNIA'S LANDMARK CLIMATE LAW AB 32

Join us in protecting the climate law that has served as a model for states across the country. AB 32 includes provisions championed by Global Green that create revenue streams for low-income communities creating equity in the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

AB 32 is currently under attack by Texas Oil companies and a Missouri conservative action group trying to place a proposition on the ballot that would roll-back this historic initiative. Write a letter to the editor supporting AB 32 TODAY!

SAMPLE LETTER
This Earth Day, I’m shocked and saddened by the efforts of out of state oil companies and other organizations to try to put a proposition on the ballot that would rollback our most important climate legislation that will create thousands of green jobs and help create a sustainable clean energy future for California that will serve as a model for other states around the country and across the world.  I plan to boycott gas stations run by Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp. - the Texas-based refinery giants - and urge all Californians to join me.

UPDATE THE LIGHTS
Swap out old, inefficient incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Every CFL can prevent more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

PLANT AN ORGANIC EDIBLE GARDEN
Organize school garden projects that engage students, teach about nutrition, and produce some food for their consumption.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Create a school recycling program. Recycle everything that cannot be reused; and encourage the purchase of items that can be recycled. By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

MORE GREEN SCHOOL TIPS

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE EVERY DAY

TURN IT DOWN, TURN IT UP
Turn your heater down and your air conditioner up by three degrees and save 1050 lbs. of CO2 per year. After the refrigerator, air conditioning is the second biggest consumer of electricity in an average household.

LIGHTEN UP
Replace three incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs in your home and eliminate 300 lbs. of CO2. Energy efficient lighting reduces energy consumption and lowers utility bills.

WASH COOL AND FULL
Use cold water, instead of hot water for laundry and dishwashing machines. Washing two loads of your laundry per week in cold or warm water instead of hot (and hang stuff out to dry when you can), saves 500 lbs. of CO2 a year. Always wash full loads of clothes and dishes - Washing machines use 30 to 60 gallons of water for the wash cycle.

MORE GREEN LIVING TIPS