EARTH DAY - April 22, 2009

So 7 days and it will be Earth Day.

Now I know what you all are thinking : "Everyday should be Earth Day!" and I truly do agree. But to make it more official and to make an extra effort, my husband and I sat down tonight and decided on actions we would take as a couple to make the day's impact more. I thought I would share them with you.

• Now although my husband and I already are a one car household (my husband taking the car because of his crazy / pre-bus schedule) and I carpool to work everyday, we have decided that April 22nd would be a good day to cut-the-car-taking all together! My husband has decided to make Earth Day his first "Ride-my-bike-into-work" day and I have decided to walk. Now I admire my husband because for him it is a 40 kilometers (24 miles) round trip when it is only a few miles back and from work for me, but I think it will be a nice gesture and help us get back into our summer swing where we walk and bike everyday.
• We have also decided that it will be an electronics-free day : That is right! No computers, tvs, radios at all. We have decided to truly embrace the simple quiet of our home and take the time to catch up on the things that we never find time to do. My husband has been teaching me to play chess and with an evening's practice, I just MAY finally beat him! *Now keep in mind that we will still be using computers at work, we can't exactly go into work and say NO! But I figure for all the electronics that will not be working at the house for 24 hours, we will still make an impact!*
  
• We have also decided all foods eaten that day will be organic and uncooked. Raw simple foods are good for the body, mind and soul. Plus, not running ovens, microwaves, grills, etc., will lower your carbon footprint.

If I could make a suggestion : For all of you that are not vegetarians, try going without meat for Earth Day! Did you know that, according to Défi Climat 2009, eliminating 4 meals containing meats a week will reduce your carbon footprint by over 400 kg (almost 900 lbs) of CO2 a year! For a family of 4, that is almost 2 US tons a year!!!

I hope you are all going to take the time and think of things you can do to help with lowering your own carbon footprint for the day and that you will join us in trying to make a difference!

Although everyday should be Earth Day, April 22, 2009 is a great place to start!

Happy greening...


What actions will you take on Earth Day?