Earth Day, Every Day!

Green is the new black. It's hip to go hybrid. As Brad, Leo, and Ed Begley Jr. go, so goes a Nation. A Nation that up until about 8 years ago was on the forefront of the Environmental movement. A movement that started some 38 years ago. An important idea has come out of this resurgence/evolution of the environmental movement. The idea that the little things you do matter. If everyone decided to act, buy, and use with conscience, the "environment" (and the people in it) would be better off. Environmental options, products, and solutions are more abundant and easily accessed than ever before. There are even green options for you naughty adults "out there".

Switching your light bulbs to compact fluorescents, unplugging your chargers (or anything that has a little light on when it's "off"), wearing a sweater (instead of turning up the heat) and taking showers together all help reduce our consumption of energy, and the resources that give us that energy (i.e. oil, natural gas, coal and the small percentage that comes from "alternatives"). And to those who complain of the "horrible" light given off by Compact Fluorescent bulbs, I say buy a lampshade (and not a plastic one).

Buying items with less packaging and/or plastic, and bringing your own grocery bag to the supermarket reduces the amount of waste we create, as well as the amount of resources needed to make that packaging or those little plastic and paper bags. Aside from the nutritional benefits from cooking, or "processing", your own food, the more non-processed foods you buy, the less energy is used to process them. It also takes far less energy and resources to grow and harvest fruits and vegetables than it does to raise and harvest meat. I try to have one vegetarian day a week.

I don't do these things because Al Gore told me to. I do them because they save me money. I don't do them, because it's what a hippy is supposed to do. I do them, because Our reliance on foreign sources of energy is dangerous and deadly. I don't do what I do, because it's Earth Day or Earth Week. I do it to do my part as one of many human beings on a planet covered with life, so generations of humans will continue to have air to breathe, water to drink, and soil to farm.

I leave you with the Green Team. Happy Earth Week!