Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Since its beginning in 1970 as a way to raise awareness of environmental issues, Earth Day has grown into an annual global event. Today those concerns are even more pressing that ever. While officially taking place on April 22nd each year, events are scheduled for several weeks before and after that date. To find out about events in your area, check out the searchable database at EnviroLink or the interactive map at Earth Day Network.

A recent survey conducted by the American Institute of Architects, indicates a decline in homeowner demand for lavish high-end amenities in kitchens and baths. This was accompanied by a growing interest in environmentally friendly features, such as sustainable flooring and water saving toilets. Designs and products that improve accessibility for the elderly, like no threshold showers and handheld showerheads, were on the rise as well.

Since its humble beginning in 2003, The Freecycle Network™ has grown into a worldwide grassroots recycling movement with over 4,000 groups and millions of members. The concept is simple: provide a way for those with items they no longer need to pass them on to those that do, rather than throwing them away. Membership and all items are free and include anything from computers and furniture to building materials and appliances. Listings and requests are posted online by each local group. Visit freecycle.org to find out how to join in your area.

If you’re curious how much power your television set uses even when it’s turned off, or whether your refrigerator should be replaced by a more efficient model, then the Kill A Watt EZ™ from P3 International is just the ticket. Simply plug it into any 110 volt wall outlet, key in the price you pay per kilowatt-hour, and plug the appliance (maximum 15 amps) into it. It not only displays how much the device costs to run, but the voltage and amps it draws as well.

Millions of trees are cut down every year and turned into paper for junk mail—not to mention the energy used to process, print, and deliver it all. Do your part to stem the flow by calling companies that send you unwanted catalogs and ask them to stop. Next, go to the Direct Marketing Association website to remove your name from mass marketing mailing lists for five years. Finally, you can opt-out of preapproved credit offers for two years at the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry website.

If you take the time to separate your paper from plastic, you might wonder where all those water bottles and milk jugs end up. Well, wonder no more. The Recycled Plastics Product Directory is a searchable database that contains listings for over 200 manufacturers of everything from carpet to decking to molding. So now not only can you do your part to reduce waste, you can find out where to buy products made from all that recycled material!

If you’re interested in making your kitchen more eco-friendly, check out 10 Easy Ways to Go Green in Your Kitchen by Jeanne Besser from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Suggestions include tips on using your appliances more efficiently, getting started growing your own food, and how to kick the plastic bottle and bag habit.

If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional paints and stains, you might want to check out Weather-Bos™. Their nontoxic, low VOC finishes are made from natural oils and resins that penetrate deeply into wood, masonry, and other materials. This not only provides protection from the elements, but from mold and mildew as well. Tom, a painting contractor in Montana, wrote to say that he highly recommends Weather-Bos™ finishes and considers them the best products he’s ever used.