EARTH DAY: “Never doubt that a small group of committed people
can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever
has.”

With those words from anthropologist Margaret Mead, we pass
along some easy and fun ways to reuse, refresh and recycle on the
38th annual Earth Day which is tomorrow.

Our hints, from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, are practical ideas
that would make our grandparents proud:

* Don’t throw old pillows away: Give new life to any feather
pillow by putting it in the dryer with three clean tennis balls on
low heat for ten minutes.

* Give an old toothbrush a second life: Boil old toothbrushes in
water for four minutes and use them for cleaning golf clubs,
computer keyboards, bird feeders, and fish tanks, or for getting
off the last bits of corn silk from fresh ears.

* Save single socks (when one of a pair gets lost or develops a
hole): Pull a clean cotton sock over your hand to wash or dry the
dishes. Or, wear one on your hand to dust railings and chair rungs.
Or, protect especially fragile Christmas ornaments by putting them
in old socks.

* Keep the “toasted” toaster handy: Unplug it, cut off the cord,
clean out the crumbs, and use it to hold bills and other mail.

* Give your honey a squeeze: Use clean, squeeze-type ketchup,
mustard, or honey containers for decorating cakes. Their spouts are
great for writing and drawing with cake icing.

* Pine away, with mayo: To clean pine pitch from your hands, rub
them well with a dollop of mayonnaise, then wash.

* Start seedlings safely: Use empty cardboard egg cartons as
vegetable and flower seed starters. Fill with planting soil and,
when seedlings sprout and conditions are right, transplant them,
“egg cup” and all, right into the ground.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the environment did not
rank as a political issue in 1970, when two activists, John
McConnell and Gaylord Nelson, headed up grassroots demonstrations
to get the topic on the national agenda.

Some 20 million people participated in those events, and, as a
result of their efforts, Earth Day became a meaningful annual
celebration. In the intervening years, the percent of people in the
United States in favor of protecting the environment has risen from
1 percent to 67 percent.