Earth Day is Tomorrow 4/22/14

Earth Day, a day to think about the environment of the world and how to make a positive impact on it.  The whole, great big, Earth.  When people hear talk of ‘The Environment’ and all the bad things happening to it they often think of a forest or jungle somewhere being cut down for its wood or an oil spill in some ocean on the other side of the continent.  They think of smog in a big city that isn’t their own or of polar ice caps melting.   They think of droughts or floods that happen far away from them.  The idea of ‘The Environment’ becomes overwhelming when thought of in this way.  A feeling of hopelessness sets in. And the concept of doing something on Earth Day to make a positive impact on ‘The Environment’ of the Earth just seems like a waste of time to many people.   What can one person do that will prevent a jungle from being leveled or prevent the ice caps from melting?   

It’s not a waste of time.  The fact is that the environment isn’t something ‘somewhere else on Earth’ that you have no impact on.  You have a personal environment – it is your surroundings every day.  It’s your home, your yard, the water you drink and the air that you breathe.  It’s everything around you and within you.  It’s all part of the Earth.  You can make changes to your personal environment that will become a part of a trickle down impact for the good of the Earth’s environment.  When everyone makes small changes to their personal environment those changes add up.  They become big, global changes that can and will have a positive impact on the Earth.  On OUR Earth that we all need to care about, now before it’s too late.

Here are some ideas that you can use in your personal environment on Earth Day and every day to make a positive impact on the environment of the Earth. 

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.  

Run the dishwasher only when it is full

Use the load size controls on your washer to reduce water waste

Unplug electronics you aren’t using. 

Use re-usable dinner-ware for your picnics and parties instead of disposable. 

Go without the plastic straws and just drink from the glass. 

Use a re-usable water bottle instead of buying bottled water

Use washable cloth cleaning rags instead of paper towels. 

Get a rain barrel to collect rainwater for watering your garden. 

Open or close your curtains and blinds to help regulate the temperature of your home

Walk instead of drive whenever you can.

Recycle everything your community allows.