Earth Day as a Way of Life

When I sat down to share some thoughts today, I wasn’t actually thinking about writing on the fact that today is Earth Day.  I was scrolling through my photos from yesterday, in which we held a picnic with extended family to celebrate Easter.  But then I thought that if I were to write from an Earth Day perspective, what might be worth stating?  And the first thing that came to my mind was, “Go outside!”  What better way to honor the earth and environment than by getting out there and enjoying it?  I decided to see if that happened to be on anyone’s list for Things to Do on Earth Day.​

It took some looking and scrolling.  The obvious things were all listed first:  Turn off the lights, recycle, re-use.  Don’t get me wrong.  I am a firm, longtime believer in these things.  Thanks to my dad, I am still following other folks around and turning lights off in rooms that are not occupied.  We started to recycle way back when the county first introduced it, as a way to not only “be green” as it were, but to save money on our garbage bill.  We tend to use things up, as much as possible.  If we truly are done with something that still has possibilities, off it goes to the recycle center.  I won’t go so far as to say that we are stellar in the “green” world, as far as habits are concerned, but we do try hard on a daily basis to practice those things that will help the earth, even in small ways.  I think that it is better to practice Earth Day everyday as a way of life.  

Finally, I did find a listing for Take a Picnic as a suggestion for Earth Day.  On the website Inhabit.com, suggestion number six was to get outside.  What better time of the year than now, to take that advice?  Sure, it’s not super warm yet, and the trees still have to green-up.  But there are no bugs, you can see for a long way through the bare branches of the forest, and you might get to spot something that may not be of notice at home.  While on yesterday’s excursion, our six-year-old neighbor pointed to a low-flying flock of snow geese.  We also saw an eagle getting chased away by a raven.  Earlier in the day, Greg and I heard first, and then spotted a lone crane, high in the sky, yet very recognizable.  The weather was mostly cloudy and cool, but we all just bundled up a little more.  The best parts were being together and being outside.  

When we were done and ready to go, we took time to check the area, to make sure that we had left nothing behind, and that we were leaving a no-trace footprint.  That’s another thing that seems better on the “to do everyday” list, wouldn’t you agree?  I hope that you all have an opportunity to go outside soon, today if possible.  It’s pretty routine to wait for better weather to come, but if we prepare appropriately, better times are possible sooner rather than later.   

Lastly, I would like to share my favorite green-related cleaning tip.  Ever since a friend from Thunder Bay showed me this, I have been a convert and evangelist.  The best way for me to wash windows is with plain water, and micro-fiber cloths.  I know that these cloths are a product of the petroleum industry, but I am a strong proponent of them.  We do truly use them up until they are no longer usable.  I appreciate not having to use chemicals on a long term basis to clean the glass.  It’s impossible to determine which solution might be better overall for the earth, but I have to say that I don’t miss trying to wipe out streaks from my windows the way that I used to do.  Plain water, it’s the best for so many things. 

Happy Earth Day!