“A society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they shall never sit”
– Greek Proverb
I had a son 4 months ago. He is precious and lovely and gooey. And I want everything for him. I want clean air and clean water and clean clothes and a clean conscience. I want to live in a way that promises him I am doing my best secure all of those things for his future. Earth day has never meant so much to me and it is rapidly becoming urgent that we all examine the ways we live every day in order to help and heal our planet. You only need to watch 1 episode of Planet Earth to get the picture. This is a list of actions, habits, exercises, or just mindless switches that move towards stewardship. I have listed them from basic to advanced to gauge how far/much I’m willing to go/do in my everyday life and still have an impact. Earth day is not one day of the year that we gaze up and appreciate the trees or maybe pick up a strewn plastic bottle on our way out of work. We need to live every day as though our lives depend on a living, breathing, changing world. I want to be in a symbiotic relationship with the earth – not a parasite. So I made a list of things that I can do today, this week, in a month, and throughout the year that with time and diligence can make earth day every day.
Go for a walk –
Basic: Walk with a small (paper) bag to pick up loose trash you find on your way.
Advanced: Get your friends and/or kids on it too. Bring gloves or a trash stick and make it a point to do regularly especially in places you enjoy a lot, like a park.
Extra Credit: Join a UnitedbyBlue clean up or purchase a cool clean up kit here: https://unitedbyblue.com
Extra Extra Credit: While your at the UnitedbyBlue website order yourself a pair of the world’s most eco-friendly shoe for your walk : unitedbyblue.com
Rock the Reusables-
Basic: Get reusable bags not just for groceries but for ALL shopping. Actually use them. Put them in your car. Even reuse the little bags for vegetables.
Advanced: Consider buying in bulk ! (and that doesn’t just mean buy more or at Costco) Though more and more Whole Foods and brand grocers are getting in on the goodness here’s a handy dandy list of smaller, local grocers and other tips and essentials to buying in bulk. www.litterless.com/wheretoshop
Advanced: Invest in reusables! i.e. dishcloths instead of paper towels, glass not plastic cups, beeswax cloths instead of saran wrap, silicone toppers and reusable plastic bags vs. single use, etc. There are so many great options out there now that are not only extremely functional, durable, and safer than a lot of disposables (like glass over plastic). You can even get on subscription services to discover new ways to lower your consumption and waste like; www.grove.co , or brandless.com, or even kits like here; wildminimalist.com
Audit your electronics-
Basic: To find out more about energy vampires and cost-savings to unplugging electronics read here: https://www.directenergy.com
Advanced: Conduct your own home energy audit. See how here: https://www.energy.gov Or if you want to go really big and you think you’ll be in your home for a while hire a professional.
~ Is a clothesline something thats an option? You might get some leaves in your sheets but that’s cool too.
~Check your dryer vent: clean it out: how to clean your dryer vent
~Turn down your water heater level! This is a pretty basic one and makes a lot of sense, especially if you have little kids in the house. You won’t even notice it.
~Turn down your house heat by 2 degrees/ close vents to rooms that don’t need it for the summer: https://www.directenergy.com
Play with Dirt-
Basic: Plant some seeds. There is nothing saying we actually need to have lawns full of grass and then use gas to cut that grass. silly. Consider some vegetable containers, beds, or even a whole garden. If that’s not for you then maybe just scatter some wildflower seeds in an unused corner before a thunderstorm. And then you’ll feel great about not mowing your lawn.
Advanced: Become part of a CSA (community-supported agriculture). Local, fresh, small business, and usually a great way to get inspired in the kitchen as getting seasonal goods usually involves at least a few new and interesting ingredients. Its more economical and mostly more fun to share a CSA “share” and then your friends or neighbors can swap for favorite foods or new recipes.
Extra Credit: Become part of a community garden and schedule yourself to take care of it at least once a month.
Extra Credit: Consider a rain bin! Here’s directions: www.todayshomeowner.com
Extra Credit: Consider a compost bin! Or check to see if there are local gardens that would appreciate the compost, or if your local farmer’s market accepts compost. For more info on why this is important check out this excellent blog post; www.greenwillowhomestead.com
Shop Smarter-
Basic: It might be a surprise for most but those meal kit deliveries aren’t as bad for the environment as once thought. Time magazine explains it here; time.com but summary: less waist and smaller carbon footprint than traditional grocery shopping. Plus, yum.
Basic: I can’t believe I’m going to say this but…Amazon for the win. In a surprising study from the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (sexy, right?) They determined that it is better for the environment to shop online than to drive anything over 8.6 miles to a retail destination. Well doesn’t that just make you feel better? Article here: voyagecontrol.com
Advanced: Oh, Baby! Recently having a baby makes me crazy with the amount of waste and plastic and…diapers we use. So if you’re in the same predicament (I pay a little more for biodegradable diaper pail bags and yet the diapers that fill it will degrade when the dinosaurs come back- sad irony) then check out DYPER. Super soft, dye-free, biodegradable. At $64/month its a bit more spend than Costco but would have a significant impact over say, 2 years of your kid in diapers. Check it out here: getdyper.com
Extra Credit: Check out my Giving Goodness Guides for Him, Her, and Littles for excellent fair trade, eco-friendly, and Certified B Corp retailers and gift ideas that will make you feel good about giving.
Hitch a Ride-
Basic: Tune up your bike and get a sweet basket while you’re at it.
Advanced: Do the work – figure out a way to carpool, take public transportation, or even work from home one day a week.
Advanced: Organize carpools for your kids! Embrace the Soccer mom inside.
Recycle-
Basic: Old bike in the garage? batteries, old electronics lightbulbs, paint cans, waste…take the time to figure it out and deal with it today – 2 Great Resources;
- Earth911: https://search.earth911.com
- RecycleNation: https://recyclenation.com
Basic: Familiarize yourself with your local recycling conditions and recycling center.
Clean it up –
Basic: Put yourself on the “Do Not Send” list immediately for catalogs, newsletters, or magazines.
Basic: Update your cleaning supplies: Try Seventh Generation, Norwex, H2O at home, Grove Collective, or Love, Beauty, Planet (most are at Target!)
Extra Credit: Make your own cleaning supplies! Or try some Zero-Waste options.
Basic: Give your car a makeover: check you tire pressure and oil levels. Our cars are our most personal contribution to our carbon footprint. Older models that do not burn fuel cleanly anyone are the main culprit so keeping up with your upkeep is important.
Advanced: Read this blog by GreenWillowHomestead to get informed about many, many ways to live more sustainably as well as how to eliminate single use plastics and what to look out for and ways to reduce their use in your home today. https://www.greenwillowhomestead.com
Less is More –
Basic: Embrace the body shower – do you reallllyy need to wash your hair every day? Nope, and its better for your hair too. My rule is I only get to shower after I sweat…its pretty motivating.
Advanced: Shop Responsibly in every way. Limit your purchases of new clothes and shoes as the fashion industry is one of the biggest culprits in environmental degradation and consumption. Read this article by the United Nations Environment Programme to find out more about how the clothes we wear affects our world; unenvironment.org
“The fashion industry produces 20 per cent of global wastewater and 10 per cent of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping. Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally and it takes around 2,000 gallons of water to make a typical pair of jeans.
We’re all in this together-
Some of these suggestions may seem easy, even trivial. Then great, go bigger. Do better. Take a good hard look and make some significant changes and then keep going. Right now it is a privilege or an obligation to make some of these choices – we do not want to get to the point where they are absolutely necessity (though that could be up for debate in some circles). Do it for yourself. Do it for your kids. Go plant some trees.
Go in Peace. Save the Earth. Amen.
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Honest Ames 