April 22nd is Earth Day

I truly believe that every day should be Earth Day, but I feel like I am in the minority at times. A lot of people do not want to take global warming seriously, and to them I would say that it seems more responsible to take it seriously. Even if it is not as catastrophic as some scientists make it out to be, don't we have a responsibilty to the planet, to other species, to future generations, to step up and clean up the mess that we have made. Especially in the United States.

We are responsible for 25% of the world's CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, yet our government does not want to regulate businesses. Yet dozens of states are scrambling to pass their own CO2 reduction legislation. And recently, dozens of businesses sent a letter to the President asking him to regulate CO2 emissions. Even the businesses are waking up to the problem and their responsibilities.

What can we as individuals do to help? It is the little things that can add up to make a big difference. I do not own a car (never have and probably never will). I live near public transportation, and I walk a lot too. On the rare occasion when I needed a car, I simply rented one. I recycle at home and at work. I do not use paper towels to dry my hands in public restrooms (I air dry or jean dry). I turn off the lights when I am not in the room. I turn off my computer when I am not using it. I reuse plastic bags and containers. I shop at the farmer's markets (to save the gas that is used to truck or fly food around the country/world). I pay my bills online. I give to the NPCA (National Parks Conservation Association), because our National Parks are our national treasure. You can find just about any environmental charity you might be interested in giving to at www.networkforgood.org.
Remember to reduce, reuse and recycle, and make every day an Earth Day.