Importance of Family in our lives

As soon as the man steps in this world, the first individuals he comes across are his family members (obviously excluding the hospital staffJ). The first individual is the mother who has taken great pain to bring him to this world. Then is the father who is always there to care for him. Then come the siblings. The word family has multiple meanings in dictionary. t is !a social unit living together" or !parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not". n a broader term, relatives can also be added to this group. #ut it is much more than that. $amily is the first learning place of an individual in this world. %tarting from childhood till old age, he learns everything from his family. &e sees his family members walking and starts trying that. &e sees them speaking and he tries to copy them. 'radually he learns the basic communication among individuals in the family. &e also learns how to love, how to behave, how to come along in life, all from his family. This develops a sort of affection among all family members. They are always there to help each other. The elder siblings help a lot to their young ones. (arents guide their children at every step they take in life until they become independent. The early )*+ years spent in the family build a strong relationship among all family members and it keeps them together the whole life. As mentioned in one of my articles, (why we should help others), man is a social animal. &e cannot live alone for long. &e always needs a company of his fellow beings. The best company for a man is his family. The affection that is developed among family members continues throughout life. That is the reason any achievement we have in life, we desire to share it first of all with our family. f we are in trouble, we always seek help from our family and it is always there to help us out. $riends come in our lives much later while family is there since day one. ,e might change our friends later in life but we never want to lose our family, even if we have differences with our family members. This is because we know that our family will always be there for us. The family systems works like a chain. -ounger people learn from elders while elders depend on their kids for a lot of things. ,hen kids grow up, get married and have their own children, the whole cycle is repeated again. $amily members will always come to your rescue whenever you need them. They always support you in different ways whether it be financial or moral. -ou can always share your problems with your family and you always find a better solution for your problems after a discussion in the house. ,e can"t make it out without our family in life. t is one of the greatest blessings of 'od. ,e often meet people who lost their family for one reason or the other. ,e have noticed that such people have a very imbalanced personality, mainly because their family was not there when it was needed. (eople who leave their family and go out to the world to do everything on their own, often turn to be the bad characters of the society. This is because they lack the training they missed from the family. .ven if one of the parents is missing, it makes a huge difference in developing personality of a child. There is always something lacking in them. ,hen you are disillusioned by the outside world, your family is always there to fall back on. -ou family always accepts you with all your mistakes and weaknesses and still loves you. /o one in the

world would do that. There is never a substitute for the love of a mother, father, wife, child or your siblings. -ounger people these days often consider family a burden over themselves and try to get away from them. They actually fail to reali0e that family is the group that has made them so strong to face the world without any help. 1utual affection, trust and distribution of responsibilities in the family are the things that strengthen this relationship. All the good in us is due to our family. t is not inborn. ,e have learnt it from our families. 2ur family has made us strong enough to face this cruel world where everyone is selfish and considers himself first before anyone else. 3onsidering all these aspects, we can say, family is one of the greatest gifts of nature to us. %tay blessed, love your family4

5) %ecrets of &appy $amilies

.xperts reveal the key ingredients to a happy family life.
$rom the #rady #unch and (artridge $amily to the 3leavers, 3unninghams, and 3osbys, images of happy families have rarely been in short supply. ,e all have ideas about what they should look like. 6oes yours fit the portrait of a happy family7 f not, don8t despair. /ow ,eb16 is letting you in on a few of the secrets to a happy family. -ou, too, can experience some of the domestic bliss that seemed previously reserved 9ust for T: families. Happy Family Secret No. 1: Enjoy Each Other The essence of a happy family is that they truly uplift each other and that all comes down to how they treat each other, says ;abbi %hmuley #oteach, a /ew -ork*based family and relationship counselor and host of The <earning 3hannel8s Shalom in the Home. =There is a 9oy that characteri0es their interaction,= says #oteach, father of eight children and author of several books, including the forthcoming Shalom in the Home. =(arents come home and the kids are happy to see them and when kids come home, the parents are happy to see them.= Happy Family Secret No. 2: Swap Stories =,hen your kids come home, ask them what happened in school and have a story for them,= he says. = f you come home de9ected and not really interested and then five minutes later the T: is on, why would they be happy to see you7= The bottom line, he says, is that when you come home, your kids have to come first. =-ou must drop everything you are doing and always come home with something to share with your kids, whether a story or even the smallest vignette,= he says. =This way you give your kids something to look forward to. The great bane of family life is boredom and that is what leads to dysfunction, affairs, and kids wanting to be with their friends over family.= Happy Family Secret No. 3: Put the Marria e First =%et a real example of love,= #oteach says. =The relationship and marriage must come first.= Think 3arol and 1ike #rady of the Brady Bunch and 3liff and 3lair &uxtable of the Cosby Show.

There are many families where kids always come first, says #oteach. Then they become substitute providers of love, he says. =That8s an unfair burden to put on a kid.= t8s also bad for families, he says, =because kids will move out of the house eventually.= Happy Family Secret No. !: "rea# "rea$ %o ether $amilies that eat together, stay together. t8s that simple. =$amily dinners are essential,= #oteach says. = t8s a time to connect.= &ave a minimum of four family dinners per week, he suggests. Happy Family Secret No. &: Play %o ether =&ave one or two unifying activities that the family does together on a nightly basis,= #oteach says. &e suggests bedtime stories for young children or reading a chapter from a novel to an older child.

(aris
$rom ,ikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the capital of France. Paris (.nglish >p?rs>,

i

>prs>@ $renchA BpaiC (

listen))

is the capital and most populous city of $rance. t is

situated on the ;iver %eine, in the north of the country, at the heart of the Dle*de*$rance region. ,ithin its administrative limits (the EF arrondissements), the city had E,EGH,5F) inhabitants in EFFI while its metropolitan area is one of the largest population centres in .urope with more than 5E million inhabitants. An important settlement for more than two millennia, by the late 5Eth century (aris had become a walledcathedral city that was one of .urope8s foremost centres of learning and the arts and the largest city in the ,estern world until the turn of the 5Jth century. (aris was the focal point for many important political events throughout its history, including the $rench ;evolution. Today it is one of the world8s leading business and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, science, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world8s ma9or cities. The city has one of the largest '6(s in the world, KLF+ billion (M%NJH) billion) as of EF55, and as a result of its high concentration of national and international political, cultural and scientific institutions is one of the world8s leading tourist destinations. The (aris ;egion hosts the world headOuarters of GF of the $ortune 'lobal )FF companiesBLC in several business districts, notably<a 6Pfense, the largest dedicated business district in .urope.B+C 3enturies of cultural and political development have brought (aris a variety of museums, theatres, monuments and architectural styles. 1any of its masterpieces such as the <ouvre and the Arc de Triomphe are iconic buildings, especially its internationally recogni0ed symbol, the .iffel Tower. <ong regarded as an international centre for the arts, works by history8s most famous painters can be found in the <ouvre, the 1usPe d82rsay and its many other museums and galleries. (aris is a global hub of fashion and has been referred to as the =international capital of style=, noted for its haute couture tailoring, its high*end boutiOues, and the twice* yearly(aris $ashion ,eek. t is world renowned for its haute cuisine, attracting many of the world8s leading chefs. 1any of $rance8s most prestigious universities and Grandes coles are in (aris or its suburbs, and $rance8s ma9or newspapers Le 2uen near (aris. (aris is home to the association football club (aris %aint*'ermain $3 and the rugby union club %tade $ranQais. The JF,FFF*seat %tade de $rance, built for the 5IIJ $ $A ,orld 3up, is located in %aint*6enis. (aris hosts the annual $rench 2pen 'rand %lam tennis tournament on the red clay of ;oland 'arros. (aris played host to the5IFF and 5IEH %ummer 2lympics, the 5IGJ and 5IIJ $ $A ,orld 3up, and the EFF+ ;ugby ,orld 3up. The city is a ma9or rail, highway, and air*transport hub, served by the two international airports (aris*3harles de 'aulleand (aris*2rly. 2pened in 5IFF, the city8s subway system, the (aris 1Ptro, serves I million passengers onde, Le Fi!aro, Lib"ration are based in the city, and Le #arisien in %aint*

daily. (aris is the hub of the national road network, and is surrounded by three orbital roadsA the (PriphPriOue, the AJLmotorway, and the $rancilienne motorway in the outer suburbs.

'limate
#eing located in ,estern .urope, (aris has a maritime climate with cool winters and warm summers. The moderating effect of the Atlantic 2cean helps to temper temperature extremes in much of western .urope, including $rance. .ven in January, the coldest month, temperatures nearly always exceed the free0ing point with an average high of LR3 (HGR$). %now is not common in (aris, although it will fall a few times a year. 1ost of (aris8 precipitation comes in the form of light rain year*round. %ummers in (aris are warm and pleasant, with an average high of EGR3 (+)R$) during the mid*summer months. %pring and fall are normally cool and wet. ,ith the weather being so pleasant in the summer, it8s a great time to visit.

Famous for its wines and cheeses, France is the worlds most popular tourist destination receiving 82 million foreign tourists annual. Visitors are attracted by historic cities, a beautiful countryside, the castles of the Loire Valley, and Brittany and ormandy. !n addition, France offers an agreeable climate, some e"cellent beaches on the French #iviera, the $tlantic coast and the island of %orsica, wide possibilities for winter sports , most notably in the $lps and the &yrenees, and a rich culture with food and wines that are among the most celebrated in the world. 'here to stay in &aris (he top tourist attractions in France)

10%hartres %athedral
(he almost perfectly preserved %hartres %athedral in the city of %hartres is one of the finest e"amples of the French *igh +othic style. (he ma,ority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early -.th century. %hartres day trip from &aris

9/une of &yla
Located in the $rcachon Bay area, the /une of &yla is the tallest sand dune in 0urope. $t the summit of the dune the view is spectacular with the $tlantic coast and the inlet of the bay on one side and a large pine forest on another.

8&alais des &apes

1ne of the largest and most important +othic buildings in the world, the &alais des &apes 2&opes &alace3 was built when &ope %lement V abandoned #ome in -.45 and settled in $vignon. (he . meter 2-4 feet3 thic6 walls, portcullises and watchtowers emphasi7e the castle8li6e loo6 of the palace.

7%hateau de %hambord
(his second most visited ch9teau in France 2after Versailles3, is a masterpiece of the French #enaissance. %onstruction of the %hateau de %hambord started in -:-5 by ;ing Fran<ois ! so he could hunt in the nearby forests. (he cold and massive ==4 rooms of the %h9teau made it unpopular as an actual residence and Fran<ois ! himself stayed here for less than =4 days in total. Loire Valley castles day trip

6+orge du Verdon
(he +orge du Verdon is a 2: 6ilometer 2-: miles3 long canyon and rises a spectacular >44 meters 22,.44 feet3 from the Verdon river below. (he river, which is named after its startling green emerald color, is one of the +orge du Verdons most beautiful features. 'ater sport opportunities here include rafting, 6aya6ing, sailing and water s6iing.

5?ont @aint8?ichel
?ont @aint ?ichel is a small tidal island located ,ust off the coast of ormandy. $ spectacular and well8 preserved orman Benedictine $bbey of @t ?ichel stands at the pea6 of the roc6y island, surrounded by the winding streets and convoluted architecture of the medieval town. ?ont @aint ?ichel day trip from &aris

4&alace of Versailles
Built in -A2= by Louis B!!!, the &alace of Versailles remained the official residence of the ;ings of France until 1ctober ->85 when the royal family was forced to return to &aris during the French #evolution. Versailles day trip from &aris

3%hamoni"

flickr/Canthia

%hamoni" is a famous s6i resort in the French $lps at the foot of ?ont Blanc. !t was the site of the first 'inter 1lympic games in -52=. !n winter world8class s6iers and boarders push themselves to e"tremes on 0uropes most challenging slopes while in the summer months %hamoni" is a mecca for alpine mountaineers and mountain bi6ers.

2@t (rope7

flickr/B#4'@0#

Located on the French #iviera, @t (rope7 is 6nown for its famous and e"tremely wealthy summer guests. !t has been dubbed the playground of the ,etset, fashion models, and millionaires. 1utside pea6 summer there are less celebrities to spot but youll also instantly appreciate what lured artists, writers and film ma6ers to this picturesDue village. 'here to stay in @t. (ope7

10iffel (ower

wikipedia/ on1mnis?ori ar

(he 0iffel (ower is a symbol of &aris and one of the top tourist attractions in France. (he tower was built by +ustave 0iffel as the entrance arch for the !nternational 0"hibition of &aris of -885. @ince its construction more than 244,444,444 people have visited the 0iffel (ower ma6ing it the most visited paid tourist attraction in the world. 'here to stay in &aris ?ore France tourist attractions and travel information can be found in the 0"plore Francepage.

6isneyland (aris
$rom ,ikipedia, the free encyclopedia

$%uro &isney$ redirects here. For the company that owns and operates &isneyland #aris' see %uro &isney S.C.(.. (isneylan$ Paris, originally Euro (isney )esort, is an entertainment resort in 1arne*la*:allPe, a new town located GE km (EF mi) east of the centre of (aris and is the most visited attraction in all of $rance and

.urope.B5C t is owned and operated by .uro 6isney %.3.A., a publicly traded company in which The ,alt 6isney 3ompany owns a minority stake.BEC The resort covers H,JFF acres (5I kmE)BGC and encompasses two theme parks, several resort hotels, a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex, and a golf course, in addition to several additional recreational and entertainment venues. 6isneyland (ark is the original theme park of the complex, opening with the resort on 5E April 5IIE. A second theme park, ,alt 6isney %tudios (ark opened in EFFE. The resort is the second 6isney park to open outside the Mnited %tates, following Tokyo 6isney ;esort, and the first to be owned and operated by 6isney (through .uro 6isney %.3.A.). The resort was designed specifically to follow the model established by ,alt 6isney ,orld in $lorida.B

PLANT A NOTION "Going green" doesn't have to be a daunting task that means sweeping life changes. Simple things can make a difference. The contents of this list might not be new, but they bear repeating. Sometimes it takes a few reminders for things take root.

1. CHANGE YOUR LIGHT f every household in the !nited State replaced one regular lightbulb with one of those new compact fluorescent bulbs, the pollution reduction would be e"uivalent to removing one million cars from the road. #on't like the color of light$ !se these bulbs for closets, laundry rooms and other places where it won't irk you as much.

2. TURN OFF COMPUTERS AT NIGHT %y turning off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode, you can save &' watt(hours per day. That adds up to & cents a day, or )*& per year. f you don't want to wait for your computer to start up, set it to turn on automatically a few minutes before you get to work, or boot up while you're pouring your morning cup 'o +oe.

3. DON'T RINSE Skip rinsing dishes before using your dishwasher and save up to ,' gallons of water each load. -lus, you're saving time and the energy used to heat the additional water.

4. DO NOT PRE-HEAT THE OVEN !nless you are making bread or pastries of some sort, don't pre(heat the oven. .ust turn it on when you put the dish in. /lso, when checking on your food, look through the oven window instead of opening the door.

5. RECYCLE GLASS 0ecycled glass reduces related air pollution by ,' percent and related water pollution by 1' percent. f it isn't recycled it can take a million years to decompose.

6. DIAPER WITH A CONSCIENCE %y the time a child is toilet trained, a parent will change between 1,''' and 2,''' diapers, adding up to appro3imately 4.1 million tons of waste in !.S. landfills each year. 5hether you choose cloth or a more environmentally(friendly disposable, you're making a choice that has a much gentler impact on our planet.

7. HANG DRY Get a clothesline or rack to dry your clothes by the air. 6our wardrobe will maintain color and fit, and you'll save money. 6our favorite t(shirt will last longer too.

. GO VEGETARIAN ONCE A WEE! 7ne less meat(based meal a week helps the planet and your diet. 8or e3ample9 t re"uires ,,1'' gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. 6ou will also also save some trees. 8or each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, appro3imately 11 s"uare feet of forest have been destroyed.

". WASH IN COLD OR WARM f all the households in the !.S. switched from hot(hot cycle to warm(cold, we could save the energy comparable to *'',''' barrels of oil a day. 7nly launder when you have a full load.

1#. USE ONE LESS PAPER NAP!IN #uring an average year, an /merican uses appro3imately ,,,'' napkins:around si3 each day. f everyone in the !.S. used one less napkin a day, more than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year.

11. USE $OTH SIDES OF PAPER /merican businesses throw away ,* million tons of paper every year, e"ual to *;1 pounds per office worker. 8or a "uick and easy way to halve this, set your printer's default option to print double(sided <duple3 printing=. /nd when you're finished with your documents, don't forget to take them to the recycling bin.

12. RECYCLE NEWSPAPER There are >4 million newspapers printed each day in the !.S. 7f these, && million, or about >?@, of them will be thrown away. 0ecycling +ust the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week.

13. WRAP CREATIVELY 6ou can reuse gift bags, bows and event paper, but you can also make something uni"ue by using old maps,

cloth or even newspaper. 8lip a paper grocery bag inside out and give your child stamps or markers to create their own wrapping paper that's environmentally friendly and e3tra special for the recipient. M%&' ()'*+9 AGTB, Cartha, # 6 Detwork

14. RETHIN! $OTTLED WATER Dearly ?'@ of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. %uy a reusable container and fill it with tap water, a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and possibly your health. The E-/'s standards for tap water are more stringent than the 8#/'s standards for bottled water.

15. $AN $ATHTIME, Aave a no(bath week, and take showers instead. %aths re"uire almost twice as much water. Dot only will you reduce water consumption, but the energy costs associated with heating the water.

16. $RUSH WITHOUT RUNNING 6ou've heard this one before, but maybe you still do it. 6ou'll conserve up to five gallons per day if you stop. #aily savings in the !.S. alone could add up to *.1 billion gallons((more water than folks use in the %ig /pple.

17. SHOWER WITH YOUR PARTNER Sneak in a shower with your loved one to start the day with some Fest that doesn't come in a bar. Dot only have you made a wise choice for the environment, but you may notice some other added...um...benefits.

1 . TA!E A SHORTER SHOWER Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water. f everyone in the country saved +ust one gallon from their daily shower, over the course of the year it would e"ual twice the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Gakes every day.

1". PLANT A TREE t's good for the air, the land, can shade your house and save on cooling <plant on the west side of your home=, and they can also improve the value of your property. Cake it meaningful for the whole family and plant a tree every year for each member.

2#. USE YOUR CRUISE CONTROL 6ou paid for those e3tra buttons in your car, so put them to workH 5hen using cruise control your vehicle could get up to *1@ better mileage. Ionsidering today's gasoline prices, this is a boon not only for the environment but your budget as well.

21. SECOND-HAND DOESN'T MEAN SECOND-$EST Ionsider buying items from a second(hand store. Toys, bicycles, roller blades, and other age and siFe( specific items are "uickly outgrown. Second hand stores often sell these items in e3cellent condition since they are used for such a short period of time, and will generally buy them back when you no longer need them.

22. $UY LOCAL Ionsider the amount of pollution created to get your food from the farm to your table. 5henever possible, buy from local farmers or farmers' markets, supporting your local economy and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas created when products are flown or trucked in.

23. AD-UST YOUR THERMOSTAT /d+ust your thermostat one degree higher in the summer and one degree cooler in the winter. Each degree celsius less will save about *'@ on your energy useH n addition, invest in a programmable thermostat which allows you to regulate temperature based on the times you are at home or away.

24. INVEST IN YOUR OWN COFFEE CUP f you start every morning with a steamy cup, a "uick tabulation can show you that the waste is piling up. nvest in a reusable cup, which not only cuts down on waste, but keeps your beverage hot for a much longer time. Cost coffee shops will happily fill your own cup, and many even offer you a discount in e3changeH

25. $ATCH ERRANDS 8eel like you spend your whole week trying to catch up with the errands$ Take a few moments once a week to make a list of all the errands that need to get done, and see if you can batch them into one trip. Dot only will you be saving gasoline, but you might find yourself with much better time(management skills.

26. TURN OFF LIGHTS /lways turn off incandescent bulbs when you leave a room. 8luorescent bulbs are more affected by the number of times it is switched on and off, so turn them off when you leave a room for *1 minutes or more. 6ou'll save energy on the bulb itself, but also on cooling costs, as lights contribute heat to a room.

27. GREENER LAWN CARE f you must water your lawn, do it early in the morning before any moisture is lost to evaporation. Aave a few weeds$ Spot treat them with vinegar. Dot sure if you should rake$ Dormal clippings act as a natural fertiliFer, let them be. f you've waited too long, rake by hand : it's e3cellent e3ercise.

2 . PICNIC WITH A MAR!ER Some time in between the artichoke dip and the coleslaw, you lost track of your cup, and now there are a sea of matching cups on the table, one of which might be yours. The ne3t time you picnic, set out permanent marker ne3t to disposable dinnerware so guests can mark their cup and everyone will only use one.

2". RECYCLE OLD CELL PHONES The average cell phone lasts around *2 months, which means *4' million phones will be retired each year. f they go into landfills, the phones and their batteries introduce to3ic substances into our environment. There are plenty of reputable programs where you can recycle your phone, many which benefit noble causes.

3#. MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLE Dot only are you e3tending the life of your vehicle, but you are creating less pollution and saving gas. / properly maintained vehicle, clean air filters, and inflated tires can greatly improve your vehicle's performance. /nd it might not hurt to clean out the trunk:all that e3tra weight could be costing you at the pump.

31. RECYCLE UNWANTED WIRE HANGERS 5ire hangers are generally made of steel, which is often not accepted by some recycling programs. So what do you do with them$ Cost dry cleaners will accept them back to reuse or recycle. <Iue .oan Irawford.=

32. RECYCLE ALUMINUM AND GLASS Twenty recycled aluminium cans can be made with the energy it takes to manufacture one brand new one. Every ton of glass recycled saves the e"uivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil needed to make glass from virgin materials.

33. TELECOMMUTE See if you can work out an arrangement with your employer that you work from home for some portion of the week. Dot only will you save money and gasoline, and you get to work in your pa+amasH

34. !EEP YOUR FIREPLACE DAMPER CLOSED Jeeping the damper open <when you're not using your fireplace= is like keeping a &2(inch window wide open during the winterK it allows warm air to go right up the chimney. This can add up to hundreds of dollars each winter in energy loss.

35. CUT DOWN ON -UN! MAIL 8eel like you need to lose a few pounds$ t might be your +unk mail that's weighing you down. The average /merican receives &' pounds of +unk mail each year, destroying *'' millions trees. There are many services that can help reduce the clutter in your mailbo3, saving trees and the precious space on your countertops.

36. CHOOSE MATCHES OVER LIGHTERS Cost lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered "disposable," over *.1 billion end up in landfills each year. 5hen choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. 5ood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

37. LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE WAL!ING.ONLINE Ionsider if you really need a paper phone book. f not, call to stop phone book delivery and use an online directory instead. Some estimate that telephone books make up almost ten percent of waste at dump sites. /nd if you still receive the book, don't forget to recycle your old volumes.

3 . GIVE IT AWAY %efore you throw something away, think about if someone else might need it. Either donate to a charitable organiFation or post it on a web site designed to connect people and things, such as 8reecycle.org.

3". GO TO A CAR WASH -rofessional car washes are often more efficient with water consumption. f everyone in the !.S. who washes their car themselves took +ust one visit to the car wash we could save nearly 2.; billion gallons of water.

4#. PLASTIC $AGS SUC! Each year the !.S. uses 2& billion plastic bags, a significant portion of the 1'' billion used worldwide. They are not biodegradable, and are making their way into our oceans, and subse"uently, the food chain. Stronger, reusable bags are an ine3pensive and readily available option.

41. FLY WITH AN E-TIC!ET The cost of processing a paper ticket is appro3imately )*', while processing an e(ticket costs only )*. n the near future, e(tickets will be the only option, saving the airline industry )4 billion a year. n addition to financial savings, the sheer amount of paper eliminated by this process is commendable.

42. DOWNLOAD YOUR SOFTWARE Cost software comes on a compact disc, and more than thirty billion compact discs of all types are sold annually. That's a huge amount of waste, not to mention the associated packaging. /nother bonus to downloading your software is that it's often available for download at a later date when you upgrade to a new computer or are attempting to recover from a crash.

43. STOP YOUR ANSWERING MACHINE /nswering machines use energy ,& hours a day, seven days a week. /nd when they break, they're +ust one more thing that goes into the landfill. f all answering machines in !.S. homes were eventually replaced by voice mail services, the annual energy savings would total nearly two billion kilowatt(hours.

44. S!IP THE COFFEE STIRRER Each year, /mericans throw away *42 billion straws and stirrers. %ut skipping the stirrer doesn't mean

drinking your coffee black. Simply put your sugar and cream in first, and then pour in the coffee, and it should be well mi3ed. #etermined to stir$ %reak off a piece of pasta from the cupboard. 6ou can nibble after using it, compost, or throw away with less guilt.

45. FIND A $ETTER WAY TO $REA! THE ICE 5hen a big winter storm heads our way, most of us use some sort of ice melter to treat steps and sidewalks. 5hile this makes the sidewalks safer for people, it may pose a haFard for pets who might ingest these products. 0ock salt and salt(based ice(melting products can cause health problems as well as contaminate wells and drinking water. Gook for a pet(safe deicer, readily available in many stores.

&>. USE COTTON SWA$S WITH A PAPER$OARD SPINDLE Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are made of plastic. f *'@ of !.S. households switched to a paperboard spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be e"uivalent to over *1',''' gallons of gasoline.

47. PAY $ILLS ONLINE %y some estimates, if all households in the !.S. paid their bills online and received electronic statements instead of paper, we'd save *2.1 million trees every year, ,., billion tons of carbon dio3ide and other greenhouse gases, and *.; billion pounds of solid waste.

4 . STOP PAPER $AN! STATEMENTS Some banks will pay you a dollar or donate money on your behalf when you cancel the monthly paper statements you get in the mail. f every household took advantage of online bank statements, the money saved could send more than seventeen thousand recent high school graduates to a public university for a year.

4". USE RECHARGA$LE $ATTERIES Each year *1 billion batteries produced and sold and most of them are disposable alkaline batteries. 7nly a fraction of those are recycled. %uy a charger and a few sets of rechargeable batteries. /lthough it re"uires an upfront investment, it is one that should pay off in no time. /nd on Ihristmas morning when all the stores are closed$ 6ou'll be fully stocked.

5#. SHARE, Take what you've learned, and pass the knowledge on to others. f every person you know could take one small step toward being greener, the collective effort could be phenomenal.

Why is it important to protect the nature?

1. Nature is the Earth and our home. If we do not protect our home, we will eventually lose it. When we protect nature, we PRESERVE it for generations to come. 2. Protecting nature keeps the Eco-systems in balance. When we cut down the rain forest, less rain falls and the once very green area turns into a desert. 3. Protecting nature keeps the flora (all plants, flowers and trees) from extinction, thereby saving precious Earthly resources from dying forever. 4. Protecting nature means reducing greenhouse gases so as to slow down and eventually preventGLOBAL WARMING. Global warming, if it continues at the rate it is now growing will be a disaster for the world and life as we know it will not exist. It will be a catastrophe beyond human imagining. 5. Protecting nature means to preserve it out of the respect for the life that lives within in. Remove nature and life is destroyed. We, as a human race, must consider the fact that if we do not preserve nature today, future generations will not be able to enjoy the benefits, the beauty, the wonder, the serenity, and the joy it brings to the hearts of people everywhere.

-ou can do a lot for patient .arth and your bank account4 3hange a light4 ;eplacing 5 regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 5HF pounds of carbon dioxide a year. 6rive less ,alk, bike, carpool or take mass transit -ou"ll save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don"t drive4 ;ecycle more4 -ou can save E.HFF pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling 9ust half of your household waste. 3heck your tires Seeping your tires inflated properly improves gas mileage by more than GT. .very gallon of gasoline saved keeps EF lbs of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere4 Mse less hot water or install a solar hot water heater Avoid products with a lot of packaging. (lant a tree * rescue a tree4 A single tree will absorb 5 ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Turn off electronic devices. %imply turning off your television, 6:6 player, stereo, and computer when you"re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.