Earth Day: What simple+green Is Doing
image credit: mauroguanandi
Earth Day was born 38 years ago tomorrow. According to what I know, it was an event triggered by public outrage over the Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969.
The first Earth Day I remember acknowledging was in 1990. That seems to be the point where “modern environmentalism” was re-born. I grew up in California in a pretty “aware” household, but I don’t recall a point where the world started talking loudly about general environmental issues until that point in 1990.
But this got me to thinking about what people do for Earth Day, myself included. People engage in many different Earth Day activities around the world:
- turning off lights, keeping energy use down or off for the day
- teaching kids about global responsibility
- instituting new programs (education, action)
- celebrating en masse
- wacky stunts!
I almost did something slightly wacky for tomorrow. My intent had been to run to work. As in: run the 5 miles to the office, work a full day, then run back home. I would have allowed for an hour each way, mostly due to the maze of routes I’d need to take.
However, logistics (I actually need to run at least one errand during the day - how terrible!) and preparation (the fact that I’d need to have all work clothes ready at the office, and was not ready to do so) have scuttled those plans.
But all is not lost.
As I won’t be running to work, I am making some pledges for Earth Day:
1. finding alternate means of transportation to work 1 time a week
2. selling my current car, and replacing the with the most fuel-efficient car possible
3. phasing out all regular lightbulbs in our home, replacing with CFLs, etc.
And I’m sure there is more that I will be doing.
Which brings the question, which you can either add a comment on or mull over for yourself:
What are you doing to honor Earth Day? What changes can you make to improve our planet?