10 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day

Even though some geophysicists suggest that the Earth is approximately 4.7 billion years old, when do you think the first Earth Day was celebrated as a holiday in the US? If you guessed anytime greater than 50 years, you would be wrong. The first recognized Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. It was not a celebration at all; in fact it was just the opposite. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin, known as the “Father of Earth Day” created this idea as an environmental protest, “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.” Over 20 million people took to the street that day to support the protest. In fact the EPA was founded as a direct result from this first Earth Day.

Now, nearly 40 years later there seems to be a resurgence of environmental conscious and Earth Day is more a celebration rather than a protest. So, what are some relatively easy things you do to help the environment today and well into the future?

1. First and foremost, you should recycle. Ink Cartridges are a killer. So are most electronics. Don’t just throw out your old cell phones, printers, computers, glass, batteries, newspapers, plastic stamped with a #1 or #2 on the bottom, solicitation mail (aka junk mail), cereal and shoe boxes. They all should be recycled.

2.Reuse bags. Bring bags back to the grocery store and refill them with new groceries. Better yet, bring a canvass bag.

3.Replace your light bulbs with CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights)

4.Unplug chargers (phone, computer, etc.) and turnoff lights and other electronics when not in use.

5.Use organic and natural landscape techniques. Pesticides are not necessary to produce a green lawn.

6.Install programmable thermostats. Each degree up or down not only consumes less energy, but is better on your wallet too.

7.Use less water: Don’t run the water while you’re brushing your teeth, and take shorter showers.

8.Use Refillable water bottles. Those small plastic water bottles are a killer on the environment.

9.Download Digital books. No trees are harmed and no ink is used to create digital books. Better yet, download digital books about the environment. Here’s one for the kids: “All the way to the Ocean.”

10.Whenever possible, use a bus, subway, ride a bike or walk.

Here are some facts you may not know:

1.The average American generates more than 3.5 pounds of trash a day.

2.About 90% of the energy used in lighting with a standard bulb is lost as heat. (See point #3 above)

3.Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as one million sea creatures every year.

4.US industry “admits” to four billion pounds of toxic pollution released per year.

5.Approximately one billion books are put into landfills each year. (See point #9 above)

On April 22, let’s all take some time to celebrate the Earth. You’ll be happy you did. So will the generations of people who will walk this Earth in the centuries to come.

By: Robert Budlow

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Robert Budlow, father of two, is president and co-founder of Still Motion Media, publisher of MobiStories, Virtual Books for Kids, www.mobistories.com. Recognizing that there was little content for screen-savvy young children, Mr. Budlow started this company with another Dad who had left his job as a Hollywood Art Director. In addition, he is also Board Chairman of the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation.