It’s not enough to say Happy Earth Day!

Once a year on April 22nd, we get out our green (not the St. Paddy’s Day green, but the one reserved for trees and plants to signify the Earth) and celebrate. But time has proven one day out of 365 isn’t enough. I know it’s hard to believe recycling a pop can or not buying a drink in a plastic bottle will do anything in the face of unceasing pollution from giant corporations, but amazingly, it helps.

1. By taking a stand against rampant pollution, we tell those around us we are committed to our Earth, and word trickles up to the politicians and manufacturers who can do something about it. (They still serve the people, believe it or not.)
2. When we acknowledge the planet isn’t disposable and try to live within ecological limits, it makes us better people.
3. We are butterflies* who cannot know what our impact might be on things to come. Let’s make it a good one.

Earth Day is every day!

We don’t have to do everything right to make a difference. We can figure out what earth-saving measures work for us, then “practice these principles in all our affairs.”

You can change the world!

Don’t toss it; Recycle anything you can. Most garbage services have a recycle program. Take full advantage of it. Then find out where things they don’t recycle can go. There are places that take electronics, plastics, furniture,  and more. If your area has Ridwell recycling service, I strongly endorse it.

Try not to buy single-use plastic items or things with a lot of plastic packaging. If it’s recyclable and you know where to recycle it, that’s great. But not supporting those products at all sends a message to manufacturers. They can change their ways, too.

Drive less, smoke less, barbeque less, buy less, fart less (if you’re a cow). Try to buy sustainable products. Don’t buy from China (I know that’s impossible, but we can still try.)

These are only a few things I came up with off the top of my head. There are many more, both big and small. Check informational websites for more suggestions. I googled “How to Save the Earth,” and before even getting to the sites, I found a list of 10 Simple Things We Can Do.

Now go pet your cat!

(Or dog, or degu…) Your actions can help keep the world safe for them too.

*The Butterfly Effect: (in chaos theory) the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere.