Happy Earth Day!! I believe this Earth Day is truly a milestone. There are people everywhere that are becoming focused on living a greener life, eco-friendly topics have become focal points on talk shows, and even corporations seem to be "going green" (even if it's just for the profits, there was a time when there weren't profits in being green). All of this means one thing: we are starting to realize, as a society, that the way we have been doing things cannot sustainably continue. My favorite quote comes to mind: "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten."
I am taking today to stop and reflect on my green journey over the last few years. The first thing I notice is that it's been enjoyable. Not just fun, but somehow I feel like we've added a deeper quality to our life, because I care about the way we do things and the effects of those things on ourselves, others, and ou planet. If I believe it is beneficial to compost, and then I compost, then I have done something I believe in, made a difference, however small, and I feel... I don't know, good, or important, or happy in some small way. And all those little happinesses add up. Watching our garbage go form nearly a bag a day down to one bag every three or four days, watching my worms eat up my table scraps, seeing our energy bills plummet as we take measures to reduce usage, watching my husband tinker with a solar water heater prototype, planting our own food for the summer, consuming less and buying higher-quality, more sustainable items, drinking only Fair Trade coffee. And then dreaming and planning and designing ways to live even greener. I actually think it's fun. it's like this mini-purpose in my life, and it keeps me busy, and entertained. maybe I'm just weird, but it's true!!
Remember the saying, "Earth Day Every Day"? That was to remind us that it doesn't do any good to just be good to our planet on one day. But I think we all know that now. So I'm going to use this day to make some new resolutions, to congratulate myself for all the good things we've done (and we all have something to feel good about, no matter how small- you wouldn't be reading this if you didn't!), and to get outside and enjoy this wonderful, crazy, wild, beautiful, dangerous, magnificent place we call home.
And for those trying to think of something to do, here are some easy ideas, thoughts, and resolutions:
- Celebrate life! Yes, that is a green thing to do, because the forefront of the green movement is the idea that we must make this world a better place to live, improving the quality of our lives and of every living creature on this planet.
- Watch the Environmental Defense Fund's Earth Day video, full of hope for a beautiful tomorrow.
Switch one item that you use regularly (coffee, milk, sugar, flour, tomatoes, half-n-half) from buying conventionally to buying organic. Coffee is a great one to start with, because the impact of conventionally-grown coffee is huge, both environmentally and politically. Try out my all-time favorite coffee, Mirembe Kawomera ("Delicious Peace"). Over your lifetime, the impact will be huge!
- Have a "disposable-free" day. Try not to use anything disposable, that has throw-away packaging or is itself throw-away. Old rags instead of paper towels, reusable napkins, bulk rice instead of boxed. (Yes, this is a tough one!) A great place to order bulk pantry ingredients and supplies is Frontier Natural Co-op.
- Plant a tree, some flowers, or some veggies/herbs. Make the planet more beautiful, create more oxygen, maybe even provide some organically raised food for yourself down the road.
- If you haven't done so already, make a resolution to use no chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or lawn care treatments this summer. No Miracle Grow, no Round-Up, no Scotts Lawn Care. Instead, visit Planet Natural or Arbico Organics and check out their huge selection of organic gardening products. Not only will you be treating your Earth better, but you will be providing more complete and healthier nutrient supplies and gentle yet effective protection for your plants.
- Start thinking about the packaging that your food comes in. Are you buying small items that use a lot of plastic containers, and need to be replaced constantly? Perhaps you can purchase gallon-size refills for some of your favorite items. Also consider making buying decisions based on packaging. Grey Poupon is our mustard of choice, since it is the only one at our local store that comes in glass (which is soooo much better than plastic). We try to make frozen juice (less packaging) or powdered juice from Frontier that does not have high fructose corn syrup, which brings us to the next idea.....
- Start searching labels for high fructose corn syrup. If you are like me, you will be shocked to discover that it is everywhere in your house, even if you eat fairly healthy foods. Ketchup, worstershire sauce, bread, cereal, salad dressing, crackers and cookies, juice, pop... the list goes on and on. So, once you identify where it is in your food, then you can start making purchasing decisions based on avoiding it. High fructose corn syrup is not a natural sweetener, and its high levels of fructose are converted to fat by the liver more than those in regular sugar. Though there is much debate over exactly how bad high fructose corn syrup can be, even the Mayo Clinic recommends avoiding it. Here is a more condemning article that outlines in details some of the potential adverse effects, as well. Do some searching on the internet yourself, but be careful: the agribusness of corn is a powerful one, and you will find many articles out there claiming that HFCS is not so bad at all....
Remember Earth Hour? What if we did that each week? Or each day? Set aside an hour where you turn everything off and do something radical. Like... talk to each other, throw a frisbee, play Trivial Pursuit by candle light. Need an earth-friendly flashlight? Check out the crank LED flashlight at The Greater Green.
Start buying recycled paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, and trash bags. And because they are a little more expensive, use fewer of them!
- Organize a neighborhood clean-up. Chat, build community, and a make our neighborhoods a more beautiful place to live.
Stop using disposable plastic water bottles! (Probably many of you already have...) If you are still buying plastic water bottles, switch to the new corn PLA water bottle with a filter that is reusable for 90 days. Even better, save a glass fruit juice jar and use that as your water bottle (we are finding that plastics, stainless steel, and aluminum all leach small amounts of toxins at some level. Though breakable, glass seems to be the healthiest way to go.)
Well, I'm going to stop my list there, but of course, it is just a beginning. Do you have a good green idea to share? Please add it by leaving a comment and sharing. Together, we can make Earth Day a truly meaningful celebration!
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