Copyright Dixie Allen
It’s Earth Day!
I was thinking last night about how we were going to celebrate. I can’t pledge not to drive anywhere today because we have church and then Jordan has a soccer game that is away, and it’s quite a few miles away. I have to drive more today than the couple of miles I drive on a normal day.
I decided that we are going to cut down on our electricity use buy not using anything that runs on electricity that isn’t necessary. (The refrigerator is not getting unplugged.). I’m thinking with my kids I am going to literally have to pull plugs out of the wall, which is a good idea to get used to for anyone. Unplugged means no juice at all. No electricity at all being used, better for your wallet, better for the environment. Win win!
We have no trees in our yard and I asked Pato to go buy a couple today. Everyone around me had these gorgeous old tall pine. Somehow our yard was missed when they were planting trees. I don’t know what these ones are my neighbor has, but they have these beautiful purple leaves. Pato is now on a mission to find me some.
We’ve already switched out our light bulbs. Back in our old apartment, they switched all of the bulbs throughout the entire complex a few years ago. It made a HUGE difference in our electric bill so Pato switched all of these here out when we bought the place. he is always on the lookout for deals on the bulbs. A while ago he found boxes of 12 for $5 at one of the home improvement stores. He bought 5 boxes. (You should see how many boxes of kitty litter he has in our shed when our grocery store ran an awesome sale on them. We’re good for at least a year. Longer on light bulbs.). They don’t last as long as they tried to tell us they would when they switched them out, but they still last a long time and the savings on our electric bill make it worth it. Just don’t drop one.
I need to recycle more. We already recycle our paper in our bird cages. I recycle aluminum cans. I need to put more effort into metal and plastics.
I was listening to WHO, our local radio show, yesterday. Van and Bonnie were doing their annual shredding of paper day at Aviva.
They were talking to someone who was in charge of the recycling that was going to happen to these semis full of shredded paper.
He was my age, 37, and he said something that made me stop and think. Baby boomers get recycling. People under 30 get recycling.
It’s my generation that’s struggling to catch up with those older and younger than us.
I thought of my parents who recycle almost everything. They have paper bags set up for plastics, metals, and paper. They store it in their garage when each bag is full until my dad can take it into the drop off location. They both unplug things when they are done using them. They’ve got the whole yellow mellow thing going on with the toilets to conserve water. I know, TMI, right, but they use less water than my family does. My mom goes 55 mph on the interstate to conserve gas. A lot of this helps in the wallet area, but a lot of it they do because it’s what we should be doing. Recycling doesn’t benefit them monetarily really, they do it because it needs to be done.
The generation after mine was the one to really start learning about our impact on the environment and then you get down to my kids’ generation and it’s standard learning in school. I get why they don’t struggle with it, but why do the baby boomers get it and we don’t? Why does my generation struggle with it so much? Why do we fight it and go as far as not wanting to believe what scientists say about climate change?
I think we need to come up with a way that humans can co-exist peacefully on this planet. I’m of the belief we need oil, but we have to drill safely. I’ll fight tooth and nail to try to help save animals from extinction. I hate all of the new developments that are wiping out what’s left of our natural land, even here in Iowa. I eat meat. I don’t hunt, but I am not against hunting when it is done for food. I struggle with recycling and using too much electricity and water. I used to call myself a republican, but now I am an independent because of environmental issues.
Let’s face it, I’m pretty much an oxymoron.
How many of you are in the same boat as me?
And how many of you are trying to do better?
Start today.
Earth Day 2012
Make a pledge to do something to help this Earth we live on.
Drive less.
Unplug things that aren’t in use.
Recycle more.
Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth.
Switch out your light bulbs.
Plant a tree or two or three.
Upcycle things that you were going to throw away.
Join your local freecycle or ReUseIt group. (Those are groups where you give things away instead of throwing them away.)
Support groups who are fighting to conserve animals. (My favorites are IS Foundation and Sea Shephard. (As controversial as Sea Shepherd is, they get it done when local and international law enforcement are not forcing countries to follow the laws.)
The list goes on and on. Pick something simple to start with. Help raise awareness. You don’t have to go out and be someone who eschews modern living to save the world. If we all made small changes it would have a big impact.
Tell me what your plans are for today and don’t forget to get in on Built Of Barnwood’s Earth Day Promotion. A good portion of the proceeds are going to the IS Foundation.
Have a happy Earth Day and be kind to her every day.
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and i just noticed that battery, oops.) Yes, the purple beaded cross started out as a rosary I bought in Mexico. My kids were infatuated with it and now it’s just a small portion of its former glorious self. The picture is one similar to the one my grandma had hanging over her kitchen table. I forgot we had the same one when I was younger until we were cleaning out some of the old buildings on my parents’ land. I found it, begged for it, put it back together, and hung it above my table, just like my grandma.
