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How Green Is ?  Earth Day's next Thursday, and thousands of Americans are celebrating by pledging to do at least one simple thing to help the environment. whether it's reusing shopping bags or writing to Congress. As pledges come in from around the country, the Sierra Club's Earth Day map shows how green each state is compared with all the others (based on population). Want to know how green your state is? Check the map!
As thanks for making an Earth Day pledge, you'll be entered to win a trip for two to one of Earth's most beautiful places: the Big Island of Hawaii. Sorry, Elvis: This trip's more green than Blue Hawaii. The lucky winners will spend five nights at the Mauna Lani hotel (called one of the top "Earth-friendly getaways" by Conde Nast Traveler) and also get a guided trip to Volcanoes National Park.
True fact: Sierra Club founder John Muir himself once visited Hawaii, but he brought back plant specimens as souvenirs instead of a ukulele.
Tired of playing Doodle Jump on your iPhone? Download our new free Eco Hero app. You can use it to make an Earth Day pledge (and be entered to win the trip to Hawaii) with just a few finger taps. You can also see where other Eco Heroes around the country are pledging.
If things look slow in your part of the country, you can share the Eco Hero app with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, or email.
Just be sure to remove your Eco Hero cape before you hit the beach in Hawaii!
P.S. Eco Hero works on iPads, too!
The Obama administration made three big announcements this month that will affect the clean-energy future of the United States. The bad news: Some sensitive coastal areas will be left open for offshore oil drilling.
As Sierra Club Chairman Carl Pope wrote in an analysis on his blog, that decision temporarily overshadowed the very good news released at almost the same time that passenger vehicles will be required to average 35.5 miles per gallon and emit no more than 250 grams per mile of CO2 by 2016.
Then, last week, we got still more good news: The EPA announced new rules that set clear standards for measuring water pollution from coal mines -- standards that could effectively end mountaintop-removal mining.
Want to let the Administration know what you think about these issues? Use our Action Center to send a message about offshore drilling, clean-car standards, or coal pollution.
The next Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference will be May 4-6 in Washington, D.C., and the Sierra Club's a sponsor. Why? Green jobs are key to America's clean-energy future! The conference includes a Green Innovation Expo that's free and open to anyone who's interested in sustainability and green jobs.
Can't make it this year? Watch our video featuring EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at last year's conference.
Worm bins are a great way to turn food waste from your kitchen into high-quality compost for your garden. Some people get very attached to the industrious little red worms who do the dirty work. But before you begin your own adventure in vermiculture, check out the starter tips posted in the "I Love to Garden!" group on Climate Crossroads.
Do you know whether your worms will thrive equally well on oranges as on bananas? We've got the answer.
Know someone who might be interested in the Sierra Club Insider? Help spread the word by using our online form to tell your friends, family, and co-workers about the Insider or simply forward this Insider on. (Some email clients strip the links out of emails when forwarded. If your email does this, you can also direct friends, family, and co-workers to our online version.)
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