Earth Day Should Be Every day

Earth Day is officially April 22nd; however, I believe it should be every day. Every day we should make an effort to appreciate and conserve and respect the planet. It is, after all, the only one that we have to call home. I am astounded that there are tons of people out there who just don't care about global warming. Can we afford to not care? It is only the planet that we are talking about destroying here.

For example, according to the Worldwatch Institute, Americans use more than 100 billion plastic bags each year, and 99 percent go straight to landfills. 100 BILLION. Whole Foods, a natural-foods chain, has pledged to eliminate plastic bags from their stores by Earth Day. American cities are trying to take initiative as well. San Francisco's City Council voted in 2007 to ban plastic bags at grocery chains and pharmacies.

Another troubling consequence of human arrogance is the decline of the honey bee. One of the possible causes is a commonly used insecticide called Imidacloprid. Some scientists believe that when bees come in contact with flowers that are sprayed with the toxin, they experience memory, learning, ad motor-skill impairment and cannot find their way home. If "colony collapse disorder" continues at its current rate, everyone from farmers to consumers will suffer.

If you really want to make a difference for the planet and for your eco-conscious, here is a list of some simple things that you can do.

Bring reusable bags with you when you go shopping
Take public transportation, ride your bike, or even walk instead of driving
Turn off the lights when you leave the room
Unplug your electronics when you are not using them
Wash clothes in cold water
Hang your clothes to air dry
Shut your computer down when you leave home or work
Swap books with family, friends and neighbors
Use reusable bottles for water and reusable mugs for coffee
Find new uses for old things and swap instead of buying
Get off junk mailing lists
Bank online and pay your bills online
Reuse your Ziploc bags, bread bags, plastic bags
Compost your kitchen scraps, recycle anything that can be recycled and reduce your landfill waste
Use pre-used boxes for storage or moving
Shred old paper for packing instead of using Styrofoam peanuts
Eat locally grown foods whenever possible
Shop locally
Use rechargeable batteries
Bring lunch to work in reuseable containers
Don't use paper towels or napkins opt for cloth instead

This is by no means everything that you can do, but these are all little to no cost things that you can do to help the planet.
Remember to make every day Earth day. Together, we can make a difference.