Happy Earth Day. There, we said it. Now we can move on.
We’re all for having a day dedicated to celebrating Earth, but we know very well that it’s going to take much more than one day to make the kind of change that will keep this planet alive. So here are 7 things you can do today, and the other 364 days out of the year that will make a difference.
- Get outdoors! – How can you protect nature if you don’t appreciate it?
- Commit to shopping with reusable bags… ALL of the time – Single-use disposable bags are destroying our planet and our health. Not bringing a reusable bag is practically a death sentence, so find one you like and keep it on you at all times. Having to answer the questions “paper or plastic?” is just inexcusable.
- Make a difference – Educate, educate, educate. Just because you’re a greenie doesn’t mean everyone around you is. Join a campaign and start talking with people. Get others involved and stoked on the issues; real change comes from individuals working on the ground and getting their hands dirty.
- Read Wend – Just kidding… that’s shameless self-promotion. But you should commit to reading quality publications that tell you about all the environmental issues out there. How are you going to encourage your friends to go green if you don’t even know what you’re talking about? We’re big fans of NRDC’s On Earth.
- Consume less – Recycling is a great first step, but the only true way to have a smaller footprint is to create less waste in the first place. So think about your consumption habits, and change them.
- Commit to eliminating single-use plastics from your life – Disposable cups, silverware, bags and beyond, we are a plastic dependent society. So stop! It may be hard to buy a bag of tortilla chips packaged in something other than plastic, but there are ways to cut out the petroleum based synthetic from your everyday life. Get your coffee in a reusable mug or thermos and always carry a fork so you don’t have to go for the flimsy spork next time you order out. And if you haven’t already replaced plastic bottles with a reusable water bottle, the eco gods are probably already banging on your door. Plus tap water really is where it’s at.
- Donate your money to a good cause – There are a lot of organizations out there doing a lot of work, and you should be supporting them. So take the money you would have spent on a round of beer and put it to philanthropic use.
