Earth Day

Today is Earth day and I love her! I love the beauty she possesses and the joy she brings. I love all the "nature" she gives us in the beautiful mountains we call home and the awesome oceans we get to visit. Unfortunately, I don't always treat her right. I try to, but honestly, sometimes I just don't want to wash any dishes and I end up filling her with paper plates. Sometimes, I get really thirsty and buy a bottle of water, which ends up her landfills. I have even made excuses that recycling is not offered in my area, but really I could drive my recycling somewhere else. Yes, I feel guilty about it and I do want to do my part to make less of an impact on her. So I am going to try to start doing things to make my impact on this earth a little less noticeable. The following is a list of things we can all do to make our summer a little "greener" and I challenge everyone to give it a try.

1. This first one is a tough one for most people, but it is something I have no problem doing as I am a heat seeker. Turn up your thermostat a few degrees in the summer which not only helps cool down the earth, but saves you some money as well! If the heat is unbearable, put your feet in some ice water for a few minutes.

2. We all love to barbecue, but there is a smart way to do it. Use propane instead of charcoal or wood, it burns much cleaner. Also, clean your grill with an organic cleaner like Soyclean it’s just as tough on grime as traditional cleaners, but won’t leave that chemical residue behind which gets on your food the next time you use it. Healthy for everyone!

3. Buy your food locally. Summer is a great time to shop farmers markets and those roadside stands for fruits and veggies. Not only do you help local farmers, you also help to cut down on the use of fossil fuels, which significantly reduces levels of pollution and resource depletion over your typical tomato bought at the local supermarket.

4. I know this one is hard as well, because the last thing you want to do is dishes after a full meal, but try to use reusable dishes instead of plastic or paper. Try to make it fun by making EVERYONE help. Not only do you spend time together, but it makes cleanup fast!
5. This may not be one that people think of, but bug spray plays a big role on all earths creatures, not just mosquitoes. DDT is dangerous and can end up turning your backyard into a deathtrap for every other kind of living thing that drops by for a visit. That means birds, butterflies, ladybugs, and even the family dog gets an unhealthy dose. Not to mention yourself, the kids, and the neighbors’ kids. Use products like garlic barrier to ward off mosquitoes. Make sure to apply it when you think it won’t rain for several days, and the garlic alternative should treat you right. Planting rosemary is a natural and low-tech way to block nasty mosquitoes as well.

6. We all know that water usage is a big deal in EVERY part of the world. We can do our parts by watching how much water we are using. There are a lot of beautiful, native plants and flowers we can buy for our yards that require less watering. Also, you may like a super green lawn, but will you really like it when you don't have any water drink? The best time to water is at night when the sun won't evaporate it and make sure you are not over watering!

So there are just a few tips to try to help our mother earth. They may seem small, but if everyone did them, it would have a positive impact on the planet. For other tips on how to "go green" click on this link http://planetgreen.discovery.com/

Peace out!