Earth Day 2010 - What Can You Do To Save The World?
Today is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. So the question is… what are you doing to minimize your footprint and help save the world? Excuses are not acceptable. We can’t put it off till “tomorrow” any longer. So how are you going to step up and change things?
It’s a monumental task, but it starts with each one of us. Here is a list of things you can do that make a big difference — not just today, but 365 days a year. Why? Because Earth Day should be every day.
Here are 7 ways to get started.
- Go vegan. The primary reason I transitioned to veg*n (vegetarian, then vegan) is because of animal agriculture’s environmental degradation. The Guardian has an article on why going veg*n is so important in combating climate change today:
- Ride a bike. Cycling is the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation next to walking. Not to mention the health benefits of cycling and how much money you’ll save by not driving or owning a car (add it up — it’s surprising how much a car costs you in a year, even without payments — in fact, renting a car when you really need one or using a service like Zipcar is probably more economical as long as you live in an urban area). You don’t even have to get rid of your car to hop on a bike a few times a week and make a big difference. But if that’s not enough to convince you, here are 28 reasons to ride a bike.
- Don’t buy bottled water. Bottled water is one of the biggest lies we’ve been sold on by corporations. To start, it isn’t necessarily safer to drink than tap water. The amount of energy and resources to produce bottled water is astronomical when compared to what it is providing you. Did I mention the amount of trash it contributes to the environment? And removal of large amounts of water from regions is contributing to drought and environmental degradation, which ultimately impacts everyone. Want to learn more? Check out the book and documentary, Blue Gold: World Water Wars (available for streaming on Netflix) Want to make a difference? Buy a stainless steel, BPA-free reusable water bottle (such as a Klean Kanteen) and drink from the tap.
- Use less water and energy. Take shorter, cooler showers. Turn off the tap while you’re doing the dishes and brushing your teeth. Use a low-flow shower head. Turn off lights in rooms that you aren’t in. Only run full loads of laundry and dishes. Use compact, energy efficient light bulbs. Sign up for your electric company’s Green Energy program, if they offer it (for a very small surcharge, a lot of electric companies will help ensure your energy is green energy). A lot of little things can add up quickly — saving money and the environment at the same time!
- Buy less stuff. You’ll not only save money, but you’ll save the environment. When you do purchase things, try to buy used, recycled, and fair trade (there are even vegan fair trade condoms — check out the Ethical Superstore, which allows you to buy a carbon offset when they ship items to you and always uses recycled and environmentally friendly packaging). You vote every time you open up your wallet or swipe your credit card — make sure that vote counts. And don’t forget, minimalism is actually pretty hip.
- Eat locally and sustainably. It’s not just about going veg*n to save the world — that fruit or those veggies might be shipped thousands and thousands of miles to reach your grocery store. They might use toxic pesticides and excessive chemical fertilizer that produces damaging runoff that pollutes water sources and destroys biodiversity. Find a local farmer’s market or CSA (there’s a directory from Local Harvest and the Eat Well Guide). Don’t eat fast food. Try to minimize the amount of packaging when you do buy processed foods. This list goes on. Need more ideas? Check out Bon Appetit’s 50 Ways to Eat Green.
- Ask questions. This is the most important one. Don’t know where something comes from? How it was produced? What’s actually in it? Ask questions! Educate yourself! Ignorance might be bliss right now, but at some point it is going to kill us and our children.
A 2006 United Nations report revealed that the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships in the world combined. The report attributed 18% of annual worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions to farmed animals, but new research indicates that the figure actually could be much higher. In Livestock and Climate Change, the Worldwatch Institute estimates that raising animals for food actually accounts for 51% of all greenhouse-gas emissions.
So what are you going to do to change the world?
