[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]
Having been active in the recycling industry for more than a decade I applaud the efforts of many to live “green” or give back something to the Earth on this celebrated day, but is one day really enough? I decided this year to write an entry three weeks prior to Earth Day so you have some time plan an activity and do a little research. On April 22nd there will be hundreds of stories written about why we should recycle more, plant more trees, and how the way we live is adversely impacting the world around us. This is your year to make a difference. Not just for a day, but for a lifetime!
Holiday decorations go on sale three months before the actual day. We work five days a week, 52 weeks a year. We eat, drive, sleep and live the life of a consumer 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, for every year that we are on this Earth. I guess what I am getting at is that for us to become good stewards of this planet we live on, Earth Day should become a lifestyle, not just a brief snippet in time when we actually think about doing some good, giving something back, or paying something forward just so we can feel good as we drive away in our SUV drinking water out of a plastic bottle. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating giving up all the comforts we have come to expect, but merely making every day a celebration of Earth Day.
Earth Day got its start amidst the war protests of the early 1970’s as a way to talk and learn about a global reawakening about the environment. During the first Earth Day celebration more than 20 million people participated, mostly at colleges and universities around the United States.
The movement has grown, and grown a lot over the years. Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. As the urban population grows and the effects of climate change worsen, our cities have to evolve. This year, more than 1 billion people are expected to participate in nearly 200 countries around the globe.
We all have the Internet or else we would not be able to read this post, so I ask you to search for some local activities in your area to identify ways that you can get involved. You can also visit www.earthday.org to see what it happening on a national and international level.
The next time we toss a bottle in the trash or say that it’s too difficult to recycle, what if we pictured the perfect view or place we love to visit in our minds – we all have one that we visit while daydreaming or taking a break from reality – what if we couldn’t see it anymore because someone put a big pile of trash in front of it? On Earth Day 2014 I encourage all to get involved but ask yourself if you are doing enough, and could you do just a little bit more so that the next generation doesn’t have to clean up our mess. Together, we really can make a difference.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
