I wanted to write about how jobs increased in 33 states in March, how Newsweek explained that the economy is beginning to come around, how the DOW is over 11,000 again, how congress had 1,000 less earmarks in 2009, about $3 BILLION reduction, how 98% of Americans got a tax cut from President Obama's first budget, how Goldman Sachs has been charged by the SEC for fraud, and how the President sent out a memorandum mandating same sex couples' rights to hospital visitation and medical power of attorney, but it is Earth Day. So instead I wanted to write about what We can do to celebrate it.
Think
I try to think about, remember, and send "good vibes" to my family and friends on their birthdays. The first thing you can do to celebrate Earth Day is to do just that. Think for a second or two about where We, as a species, have come from and what we are doing to ourselves and the world we live in. Think about a time when people gathered, hunted and farmed raw land to feed and shelter themselves. Think about how much electricity, water, and gas you use in a day. Think about the resources needed to provide them. Think about how far the food you're eating was trucked or shipped before it hit your table. Think about how the land, and its inhabitants were treated to provide it. The thought itself is something.
Reduce
Conserving energy does not have to be a drastic all at once change in lifestyle. Taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator, or unplugging chargers after use, are examples of small things you can do that make a difference. The more people that take these steps, the larger the cumulative effect. Changing your light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent reduces your energy consumption. The bulb's longer life reduces your consumption of light bulbs and the resources that make them. Some take issue with the mercury content in the new bulbs. There is a Superfund site in Hoboken because of Mercury pollution due to manufacturing Incandescent light bulbs, so you tell me which is worse. Another way to reduce is to not use gas, electric, or batteries for an hour on Earth Day. Make it a weekly habit, if you can.
Shop
When shopping, be conscious of the materials used to create the products you buy and the packaging they are contained in. Buying in bulk means less packaging overall. Don't take a bag unless it's necessary and if it is use a reusable shopping bag. If you don't have one, buy one. Avoid plastics whenever possible. When buying something made of or wrapped in plastic, check to see if it is made of soy/corn plastic or has a recycling symbol with a #1 or #2 inside on it. These are the most recyclable plastics.
Recycle!
Recycle everything you can. Recycling saves tax dollars and, in many cases, creates revenue for local governments. Every little bit helps, as the tabs from tea bags in my recycling can attest. Choose glass over plastic. Glass can be recycled over and over again, while plastic can be recycled once at best. Similarly this is why I choose paper over plastic. Less petroleum is used in making paper bags than plastic, and paper bags can be and are usually made recycled materials. You can recycle aluminum foil.
Eat and Enjoy.
The meat industry is responsible for as much, if not more, damage to Our environment that any other industry, whether we are talking about ground and groundwater pollution or greenhouse gases. Eating vegetarian, if only one day a week, eases the environmental degradation caused by what We eat. There is still some nutritional debate about organic versus conventional farming, but there isn't a debate about which pollutes more. The less synthetic pesticides, herbicides, etc. the better. If you can get your food from a local source, i.e. farmer, do it. Chances are it's fresher. It is what We were meant to eat in that region during that season, and less petroleum was used shipping it. Plant a Garden.
Lastly, Enjoy. Go to the park, plant a tree, get dirty, lay in the grass, sit under a tree, take a hike or a bike ride, breath in the air, smell the flowers. Try to reconnect to and Enjoy this place We live on. While you're out there, if you see a piece of litter, why not pick it up.
Happy Earth Day!
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA
Think
I try to think about, remember, and send "good vibes" to my family and friends on their birthdays. The first thing you can do to celebrate Earth Day is to do just that. Think for a second or two about where We, as a species, have come from and what we are doing to ourselves and the world we live in. Think about a time when people gathered, hunted and farmed raw land to feed and shelter themselves. Think about how much electricity, water, and gas you use in a day. Think about the resources needed to provide them. Think about how far the food you're eating was trucked or shipped before it hit your table. Think about how the land, and its inhabitants were treated to provide it. The thought itself is something.
Reduce
Conserving energy does not have to be a drastic all at once change in lifestyle. Taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator, or unplugging chargers after use, are examples of small things you can do that make a difference. The more people that take these steps, the larger the cumulative effect. Changing your light bulbs from incandescent to compact fluorescent reduces your energy consumption. The bulb's longer life reduces your consumption of light bulbs and the resources that make them. Some take issue with the mercury content in the new bulbs. There is a Superfund site in Hoboken because of Mercury pollution due to manufacturing Incandescent light bulbs, so you tell me which is worse. Another way to reduce is to not use gas, electric, or batteries for an hour on Earth Day. Make it a weekly habit, if you can.
Shop
When shopping, be conscious of the materials used to create the products you buy and the packaging they are contained in. Buying in bulk means less packaging overall. Don't take a bag unless it's necessary and if it is use a reusable shopping bag. If you don't have one, buy one. Avoid plastics whenever possible. When buying something made of or wrapped in plastic, check to see if it is made of soy/corn plastic or has a recycling symbol with a #1 or #2 inside on it. These are the most recyclable plastics.
Recycle!
Recycle everything you can. Recycling saves tax dollars and, in many cases, creates revenue for local governments. Every little bit helps, as the tabs from tea bags in my recycling can attest. Choose glass over plastic. Glass can be recycled over and over again, while plastic can be recycled once at best. Similarly this is why I choose paper over plastic. Less petroleum is used in making paper bags than plastic, and paper bags can be and are usually made recycled materials. You can recycle aluminum foil.
Eat and Enjoy.
The meat industry is responsible for as much, if not more, damage to Our environment that any other industry, whether we are talking about ground and groundwater pollution or greenhouse gases. Eating vegetarian, if only one day a week, eases the environmental degradation caused by what We eat. There is still some nutritional debate about organic versus conventional farming, but there isn't a debate about which pollutes more. The less synthetic pesticides, herbicides, etc. the better. If you can get your food from a local source, i.e. farmer, do it. Chances are it's fresher. It is what We were meant to eat in that region during that season, and less petroleum was used shipping it. Plant a Garden.
Lastly, Enjoy. Go to the park, plant a tree, get dirty, lay in the grass, sit under a tree, take a hike or a bike ride, breath in the air, smell the flowers. Try to reconnect to and Enjoy this place We live on. While you're out there, if you see a piece of litter, why not pick it up.
Happy Earth Day!
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA
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