Earth Day

Today we celebrated Earth Day. It's impressive to see how we are taking the necessary and vital steps in saving our Earth. Many are involved in activities to reduce our carbon footprints. Work is being done in teams (groups organizing activities and informing the public) and as individuals (the lone person recycling at home). Ultimately whether we work in a group or individually, it becomes a group effort because it requires all of us to work toward the same goal.

We now have a huge amount of information to make us aware of how our activities might be destroying our planet. We also have information to instruct us on steps that we can take to save our planet.

I too have been taking steps to reduce my carbon footprints. I have become more aware and focused on how my daily activities might impact our Earth. I am just one, but I become part of a collective here.

I'll list some of steps I have taken:

Changed my light bulbs from incandescent to fluorescent.

Turn off the lights when not in use.

Assure that I always have my reusable bags when I go shopping.

Research on recycling electronics.

Buy less of everything whether groceries, clothes, etc (this hasn't been easy since I could have formed a shopaholics club).

Switched cat litter from the clay material to pine or newspaper material (yes, it's a must that they join my efforts).

Eat less meat (not only does this reduce the carbon footprint but it's especially healthy).

Buy less items contained in plastic or purchase the larger item because ultimately I'll have more product and less plastic.

Started to make my own cleaners (yes, THEY WORK).

I love my candles but no more metal wicks.

Use natural and organic toiletries (since natural doesn't necessarily mean natural, I read every ingredient label).

I am on top of my daughter to turn off the lights and the TV when she is not really watching it (since her idea of multi-tasking is chatting, talking on the phone and watching TV, all at the same time).

And just when I think that I'm doing all that I can or that I already know about a particular activity that I heard or read about, I learn something new.

So lets all work together on this one for the same goal: maintain/create a beautiful, clean EARTH.