Earth Day 2010

Happy Earth Day Bloggers!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year (is that sad?), because I can express to people, without preaching, that we can do little things to help our planet.  I'm not suggesting you try to change the world by leaps and bounds - I'm just saying think about what you can do.

I write a post every year on Earth Day (well, for the whole 2 years I've been a 'blogger')... here is my 2008 Earth Day post and here is my 2009 Earth Day post.  I'd especially like to suggest checking out the 2009 post because there is a great link there on how to start your own compost pile.  Today, while my work schedule is extremely packed with things I need to get done before 4 o'clock, I am taking time out to talk to you and tell you that you can help!

Start small.  Don't feel obligated to change the world overnight.

First and foremost, the easiest thing you can do is recycle.  It's takes almost no effort.  Get a separate bin for papers, plastics, cans, etc... done.  Second, if you are a smoker or know someone who does - let's put an end to all the cigarette butts being tossed out car windows and onto the side of our roads.  Seriously, I can't stress enough how much this bothers me.  What gives you the right?!  It's the equivalent to tossing your McDonald's bag, full of trash, out your car window.

I hate that we only talk about this one day a year...

Target Field (which is the new home of the Minnesota Twins Baseball Team) is the 'greenest ballpark in America'... how awesome is that?!  It recycles, and even if half the people there decide to use the recycling bins available, it's that much less waste in a landfill and that much more waste that can be potentially reused.  The ballpark has water saving toilets; pull up on the handle to flush liquid waste, down for brown.  When it rains, Target Field collects the water and reuses it to water the field and to wash down the seats.  The stadium was built with as many local products as possible to cut down on shipping and to support our local economy.  There is a public transit stop right outside the stadium and people are encouraged to take the train!  Read for yourself all about Target field and how green it is!  How can you not love something like that?!

Okay, so back to you and I; how can we help, you ask?

• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - need I say more?
• Carpool or use public transit or bike or walk - anything to reduce car emission (and improve your health)
• STOP littering (this includes cigarette butts) - plain and simple
• Switch to energy efficient light bulbs - they are not cheap, so change them out as needed, not all at once.
• Turn off electronics - when your not using it or in the room, turn off the TV, radio, lights, etc.
• Bring your own bag - everywhere you go you should be bringing your own bag; grocery store, Target, EVERY. WHERE.  You can buy the bags almost everywhere now-a-days (or maybe you have an old bag in the closet you can use?)... so start using them.  No more plastic!
• Grow your own veggies - do you need an explanation?
• Wash with cold and dry outside - Using cold water to wash saves energy by not making your hot water heater kick on, and drying clothes on a clothes line eliminates the dryer altogether!
• Stop with the (plastic) water bottles - seriously folks... go buy a reusable and refillable water bottle.  How many plastic bottles have we had to produce and toss in the landfill in the past year?  ugh.
• Start a compost pile - great for your plants and better for your waste pile.

Had enough yet?  Okay, I'll be done.

I recycle.  I {try} to use the reusable grocery bags or not take a bag at all, if possible.  I'm trying to use refillable water bottles more.  I always wash clothes in cold water.  I NEVER litter (I'd rather have my car full of garbage than throw one piece of it outside).  We are slowly switching to the new light bulbs... my mom just unplugged her outside lighthouse and changed to solar powered lights.  

All of this stuff is hard, I know.  Small steps in the right direction though... and we are well on our way to doing something big.  If you recycle one thing a day, eventually it will become habit and you'll start to recycle everything in a day.  baby.. steps..

Now I want to hear form you - what have you done in the past year to become more green?  What will you do in the coming year to become more green?  What will you do today to help better our planet?

Happy Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day!

Last year on this day [when I was blogging on myspace] I wrote this blog about Earth Day and asked people how they help the cause, what they do to recycle, and strongly suggested people STOP littering.
This year will be no different, although I'll be adding some pictures of litter that I've been taking over the past few weeks.  It disgusts me!

Start noticing how many cigarette butts you see when you're stopped at a stoplight coming off the highway/freeway, really everywhere!  Not only is it completely dangerous to throw a cigarette out the window when driving [what if it flew into someones window OR what if there is a motorcycle behind you] - it's NOT good for the Earth!  It is one of my biggest pet peeves.
Last year I turned my focus on one of the guys here at work - He smokes and I kept [kindly] suggesting that he stop throwing his butts out the window on break.  I offered to get something for him to put them in, a cup or something from the gas station, anything!  A few weeks after I started [kindly] suggesting this, I walked up to his truck on break one day and noticed that he had a cup from the gas station full of butts!  Mission accomplished!  I just saved the Earth from probably 20 butts a day being thrown onto her.

Today is the day we can do something to help.  As one person, I cannot solve the worlds problems - as a blogger with a solid couple handfuls of readers, I can write my thoughts and maybe spark something in at least one of you.  I don't expect us [as a world] to change overnight, but Earth Day is a way for us to remember each spring that we need to take care of this place we call home.

Do you recycle?  If you don't; why wouldn't you?  It's so easy and imagine being able to reuse things rather than having to use brand new packaging.  You save room in your garbage and you keep a huge load of things out of our [already too full] landfills.  If you are a gardener, you should make a compost pile out of your organic materials - it's great for your plants and it also helps keep unnecessary waste out of our landfills - here is a link to help you get started.
Here is a way the city of San Francisco is doing their part... A whole city!  If they can... why can't we as individuals?

Start car pooling or ride a bike to get around [that's good for your body too!], turn off the water when brushing your teeth, reuse some old materials for a craft project [I'm in the process of turning a old window frame into a photo frame], host a Green party and use only recycled materials that can be recycled again and serve foods that can be throw into your new compost pile if they go bad, think of everyday as Earth Day - not just one day a year.

Go plant a tree, go buy an energy saving light bulb [and turn off the lights when they aren't needed], continue to recycle, and if nothing else at least get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature, take some photos, go bird watching, fly a kite - maybe that will help you appreciate our planet and help take care of it a little bit better.

Now that I've [kindly] suggested some things you can do to help our Earth on this day, I will leave you with some photos of the way people are helping to destroy it - this adds to the importance of why you should pitch in and do something, anything, no matter how small and insignificant you may think it is:

Happy Earth Day

I was thinking on my way to work this morning, as a plastic bag flew over the roof of my car, Why do people litter?
Ironically, the next thing I heard on the radio was something about it being Earth Day today.

I was at Target last night, and I came across a very plain white t-shirt that said My White t-shirt is Green, which basically means it was made with recycled materials. I almost bought it, but was already spending too much money on stuff I didn't necessarily need!
Here is something you may or may not know about me: I am a huge recycler. I get on everybody about it, if I see someone throwing something in the wrong bin.
I don't know that I'd call myself "Green" per se, but I do think about the little things I can do as an individual to help better our Earth.

Nothing annoys me more than seeing people throw cigarette butts out the window of their car, while driving or stopped. I am seriously to the point where I almost get out of my car to scream at them- though with today's world and the right to conceal and carry, I would never do that.
Do any of you smoke? Do you throw your butts out the window? I hope you think twice next time you do.. and maybe the time after that you won't do it at all. Shame on you for doing it to begin with... what gives you the right to help destroy our planet?
I seriously hope none of you litter... that is so 10 years ago! IF you do... can you give me one good reason why? ...didn't think so.

I despise people who litter.

Have any of you taken steps to try and become green? I'd like to hear about it, if so. I know that one person won't do much on their own, but chances are if you are doing green things you'll probably talk to your friends about it... causing them to do one little green thing. If we all do one thing, it will eventually have some effect, right?
I don't know how to have an effect on everyone, nor do I expect to, but I hope that those reading this will take my words and try to do something to help. Our planet isn't going to fix itself and we've done horrible things to it; why not pitch in and try to help clean it up?
I'm not saying donate money, I'm not saying go 100% green and change your life completely...but, you could be saving money by changing to those new light bulbs, you could help generate less waste by taking advantage of paperless billing options, and do you really need to take that extra 5 minutes in the shower to see how your shower head can work for you?

I'm just saying think about it... be aware of the things you do.

Today is Earth Day - The sun is out in Princeton, MN - It's a beautiful Earth we have been blessed with, don't you want your children and grandchildren to be able to enjoy it?

Maybe start by picking up a piece of litter today... it's a small step, but it's a step in the right direction.

Thank you for your time.
~Ang