25 Tips To Celebrate Earth Day

Image via WikipediaThis is the 40th anniversary of our annual Earth Day. A day where we promote the sustainability of our land, water, and air through individual and collective efforts. If you remember forty years ago the notion of an Earth Day was thought of as silly. Not today, Earth Day has grown to a worldwide effort to educate and take action on everything concerning the environment.

Earth Day was created as a response to the systematic pollution and disregard for the environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970. Earth Day is celebrated in spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Earth Day Network, a group that wishes to become the coordinator of Earth Day globally, asserts that Earth Day is now observed on April 22 in virtually every country on Earth. World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5 in a different nation every year, is the principal United Nations environmental observance.

The idea behind "Earth Day" is totally a Baby Boomer concept. It's maturity is tied to the generation that brought it to life. As baby boomers age they start to be comfortable with Earth Day's competing values. Earth Day, in effect, also is Boomer Day. It shows the essential conflict between self interest and the public interest. The day reflects Baby Boomer’s conviction that we can have it all if we just tweak and adjust and think much differently about how we integrate manmade and natural systems. Now that it’s completely plain, that the more sensitively we treat the earth, the better off we’ll be in every aspect of our lives. Baby Boomers have the satisfaction of knowing that they were right.

The beauty of being responsible with the environment is that it's so easy to do. It doesn't cost much, it's just an adjustment to your behaviors. Here's a list of things you can do to make an impact on Earth Day and all year.

25 Tips To Do On Earth Day And All Year Round

1. Lower your thermostat. Buy a programmable thermostat.
2. Reuse your water bottle. Avoid buying bottled water. In fact, reuse everything at least once, especially plastics.
3. Check out your bathroom. Use low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets.
4. Start a compost in your back yard.
5. Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs. You'll find more on energy-efficient products and practices at Energy Star.
6. Recycle your newspapers.
7. Car pool.
8. Go to your local library instead of buying new books.
9. Get off junk mail lists. GreenDimes can get you started. They’ll even plant a tree for you!
10. Buy products that use recyclable materials whenever possible.
11. If you use plastic grocery bags, recycle them for doggie poop bags or for small trashcan liners.
12. Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Given a choice between plastic and paper, opt for paper.
13. If you have a baby, consider using cloth diapers. To sign up for a diaper service to do the dirty work, check out the National Association of Diaper Services.
14. Consider buying a fuel-efficient car or a hybrid.
15. Go paperless. Consider reading your newspaper and magazine subscriptions online. Switch to electronic banking and credit card payment, too.
16. Turn your car off if you’re going to be idle for more than one minute.
17. Do full loads of laundry and set the rinse cycle to “cold.”
18. Reuse. Plastic food containers make good crayon and marker holders. Use padded envelops more than once. Buy your toddler or preschooler’s clothes from a thrift shop and give away those that don’t fit to friends. Goodwill or the Salvation Army can help.
19. Limit the length of your showers. Even better, take a “navy shower,” shutting off the water while soaping up and shampooing.
20. Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth.
21. Wash towels after several uses. 
22. Give away your goods and find new ones at FreeCycle.
23. Build a greener home.
24. Go paperless at work. Distribute company information and post company material online.
25. Eliminate junk mail at work. For no fee, the EcoLogical Mail Coalition will eliminate the junk mail that former employees receive at work.

Today, it's easier than ever to recycle. Many city's distribute recycle bins and have weekly pick up. In your town or county there is a bulk waste disposal site. There are now companies and county sites to bring electronics, computers and TVs to be recycled. Even places for toxic items like paints, chemicals and fluorescent bulbs. We have no excuse anymore for not recycling. Do your part on Earth Day and all year round.