Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Every Day is Earth Day

The National Calendar says it’s Earth Day. Considering the current condition of our planet, the health of Americans, the quality of our indoor and outdoor air, shouldn't every day should be lived as Earth Day?


Here are some tips I like to consider every day...
  • Buy in bulk, using glass ball jars or containers
  • Limit your time in the shower, set a timer
  • Wash clothes in cold water
  • Bring bags when you do your grocery shopping
  • Eat more vegetables than meat
  • Reduce your consumption of meat; support local sources for meat rather than factory-farmed meat.
  • Unplug counter top appliances and electronics when you’re not using them
  • Buy as much of our produce from a farm stand or farmers market
  • Borrow books, music and movies from the library. Imagine the energy and packaging behind home-delivery services and amazon.
  • Limit your time in the shower or don't shower every day
  • Wash hair every other day or once a week
  • Recycle.  Recycle plastic bags rather than placing them in the landfill
  • Switch off lights when you’re not using them
  • Replace commercial household cleaners that are contaminating the in our homes and air, bodies and waterways with White Vinegar, Borax, Baking Soda, Seventh Generation, Thieves Household Cleaner
  • Avoid popular air freshening sprays. Yikes, especially you restaurant owners - when someone poops, the chemicals you have pumping through the bathroom don’t clear the air, they just blend with the poop. ugh.
  • Grow your own produce, herbs, fruits
  • Start a compost, refrain from placing food scraps in landfills
  • Shop for clothes at Vintage and Consignment stores, Salvation Army and Volunteers of America
  • Bring back the dandelion. Make it cool to have yellow dandelions in your lawn rather than yellow pesticide flags.
  • Choose glass whenever possible, plastic is evil
  • Say "No, Thank You" to styrofoam; it takes about a million years for it to break down
  • Turn off or donate your TV
  • Lower the thermostat and wear wool and socks to bed
  • Wash linens and cashmere in cold water gentle machine cycle rather than synthetic chemical dry cleaners
  • Contact companies who send you junk mail and ask them to remove you from their lists
  • Give gifts that go away, rather than buying stuff for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
  • Plant a tree
photo source: Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi at flickr

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