Earth Day, Every Day

Today is Earth Day. I was reading a blog called Make & Takes and they had a link to a quiz on the Kaboose website about how eco conscious you are. I did not do so well on the quiz. It made me realize I need to be doing more. I used to pay a lot more attention to this kind of stuff when I was younger, but for some reason have gotten really lazy about all of the "Save the Earth" stuff. It's not that I don't care, I just haven't given it much thought the past few years.

I was watching a show the other night on the Discovery Channel about Alaska. There were these scientists who went there to study the glacier patterns and how it is affecting the animal population there. I guess Alaska is getting warmer & warmer & the ice is melting at much faster rates. There is very little sea ice left there. The sea ice is where polar bears & seals rest while swimming to fish & hunt. The animals are now coming onto land more often. They also compared pictures from 100 years ago to now at the same time of year & showed how different the landscape is because of the climate change.

This got me thinking. I know right now with the global warming patterns that are so heavily discussed on the news that it is of major concern to so many people. I also know the Earth goes through cycles of warmer & colder periods of time. I think though that this may be more than that. People are getting lazier & caring less about things other than themselves (myself included). I have always felt it is important to treat our world with respect & care because nature is such a wonderous thing that should not be lost. So I have decided to try and make a few changes in my life to help better the Earth. I am only one person, but if everyone commits to better one or two small things, that can make a huge difference. I am going to do my part to "Go Green."

Here are a few simple tips:

• Turn off water while you brush your teeth
• Turn off lights when you leave the room
• Turn off & unplug electronics when not using them
• Use reusable fabric bags when grocery shopping
• Recycle
• Compost your food garbage for your garden
• Buy locally grown produce
• Use low-energy flourescent bulbs
• Close blinds during the heat of the day to prevent heat build up
• Use non-toxic cleaning supplies
• Walk, bike, or carpool when possible
• Use less paper, write on the back sides