Spring, Resurrection, Earth Day
It's a great season for new beginnings.
Nothing fancy here, but I want to offer a few areas where you can change for the better and encourage others to do the same.
My favorite way to do this is to ride a bike, but there are a lot of ways to cut back on your consumption: carpool, plan your routes and trips better, drive less aggressively, walk more, shop or eat closer to home, take your lunch to work, maintain your vehicle better, use public transportation. As much as I love the prospect of cars that don't burn gas, you don't have to buy a new Leaf to turn over a new leaf.
Choose re-usable over disposable:
cups, bags, utensils, jars, straws, handkerchiefs, mason jars, kitchen rags, napkins
Show some love to a natural place:
My hope for this evening is to head to my favorite local wild place with the stuff needed to pick up trash, recyclables, and manmade stuff that just doesn't belong in a wild place. It's been a breeze-trashy winter and it's time to undo some of the damage.
Use less plastic:
There're lots of ways to go about this: re-usables (mentioned above), being more conscious of packaging when you're buying groceries, invest in quality utensils/dishes that will last longer than plastic, choose restaurants that serve in real dishes and cups; say no to straws, lids, and single-use plasticware.
Bring home less crap:
Chotchkies, swag, knick-knacks, collectables, figurines, novelties, promotional items - all that useless stuff that ends up on a shelf, in a drawer, or in the garbage - think before you bring it home. Less stuff means less stuff to worry with!
Seek out simpler recreation:
A friend was telling me yesterday about some birds nesting in his family's backyard, and how it's transformed his time with his wife - every chance they get they're out in the backyard with binoculars. Last night, our family went for a bike ride followed by a stroll with the dogs. Yes, I admit that I'm getting old and boring, but we find more and more time that requires little in the way of earth-harming resources and supplies us with a great deal more health and joy.
To be fair, if you do everything on this list, you will make very little contribution to making the world a heathier place, but you will help in creating momentum, and if you share your successes, you'll encourage others.
If you want to make a bigger impact:
Encourage others to live cleaner, support organizations that work for bigger change, and encourage your local politicians to vote and live cleaner. Here are a few organizations to check out if you're looking for a place to start.
