Earth Day 2011

centenarycollege.edu

Earth Day is a time to celebrate all the wonderful resources our planet provides and to raise awareness of things we can do to preserve them!

We teach our children not to leave the water running while they brush their teeth and to switch off lights when they leave a room to conserve water and energy.  My kids are also super at recycling!

In addition, we can help the planet through our food choices.

Simple steps such as taking re-usable bags to the grocery store help to reduce the plastic bag issue in land fill sites. (As a bonus several  stores will reward you with 5c for every re-usable bag you take!)

Avoid buying food with a lot of packaging.  Many processed foods are packaged in the type of cardboard that cannot be recycled plus plastic cartons plus plastic film.  Once you peel back all these layers the food inside is generally high in sodium and additives. So not good for the environment or our bodies!

Farmer's markets are environmentally friendly.  Because the produce is local, transport costs of bringing you the food are low, there's little or no packaging, they encourage you to take your own bags.  The produce is unprocessed or minimally processed - again reducing the environmental impact by avoiding manufacturing processes while preserving the nutritional content.  Check your local paper or search the internet to see if there's a market near you!

Or you could take the plunge and start your own vegetable and herb garden!  Not as difficult as you may think and you don't need to have a big yard!  You can hang those upside down tomatoes growers from a condo balcony and plant herbs in pots.

Plan your meals in advance to avoid last minute trips to the grocery store for ingredients - this will reduce emissions from your car.  Walk or bike to the store if that's possible!

Avoid buying bottled water.  Invest in a re-usable bottle - there are SO many to choose from!  Buy one that reflects your personality or supports your favorite charity.  Buy a really brightly colored one to brighten your day or one that says 'water' on it to remind you to drink it!  

I'd love to hear your ideas for helping preserve our planet!