Happy Earth Day! Earth Day started on April 22nd 1970 when the nation celebrated clan air, land, and water. In the beginning, Earth Day was focused on the United States, launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970; he then took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. Communities all over the world celebrate Earth Week, an entire week dedicated to activities focused on environmental issues.
What can you do to make a difference, you may ask? There are so many small things we can all do to make an impact. Believe me when I say being green and the commitment to being green is not an easy task, but if each of us will make a commitment to make a few small changes in our daily lives, than the sum of all our efforts will make a larger impact.
Here are a few ways you can make an impact:
1) Recycle
2) Take your own reusable grocery bags to the market (many grocers will take money off bill for bringing your own bags)
3) Skip the plastic water bottle and carry you own Eco-friendly, BPA free water bottle (Sigg is a great brand)
4) Use Eco-friendly non-toxic cleaning supplies (some of my favorite are ECOS, Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers
5) Use Eco-friendly non-toxic products on your skin and hair (Arbonne, Origins, EO, and Burt’s Bees)
6) When you can try to carpool or ride your bike
7) Bring your own mug when you visit your nearest coffee shop (Today 4-22-11, Starbucks will fill up your personal reusable mug with coffee or tea for free)
8) Buy local and organic food from farmers markets
9) Keep electronics, toners, etc. out of the trash and take them to be recycled properly
10) Save water and energy – by changing the light bulbs in your house, opting to have energy efficient doors and windows, purchasing a solar hot-water heater and/or solar panels can save you money in the long run and helps our planet.
*The pictures used in this post are not mine. I found all the images via the Internet*
Editor – Rachel Ashley
