On this day 38 years ago the first Earth Day was celebrated.
The goal of today is to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth’s environment.
My appreciation for this earth has increased immensely over the last few years.
No other situation in life will show you waste – like when you have baby. From the diapers, wipes and glass jars to the lead hazard recalls and millions of poorly made toys.
Instead of preaching about all of the things I think you should do to help save the planet, I will tell you about all of the things our family does to improve our world.
Cloth Diapers – For the last 2 years I have been a cloth diaper mom. I don’t even try to sell other moms on this idea anymore. It works for us, it’s easy to do and I feel good when I go to bed at night. Some parents will not even consider cloth diapering because they have been led to believe that it will increase their workload 10 fold. My advice to them is do your homework. Cloth diaper mommies have designed some really good products that are easy to use.
Breast Feeding – Because my son arrived early and wasn’t able to suck very well even after he was released from the hospital, I needed to pump my breast milk. I pumped for 18 months in order to completely eliminate the need for formula. In that time I believe that we probably saved the local landfill at 30 cans of formula. Every can helps!
Energy – We have a rule – we only keep the lights on in the room we are in. I have also gone around the house and unplugged anything that may be plugged in – sitting idol. It is a misconception that appliances that are plugged in, but not in use don’t use energy.
Our next house will have solar panels on the roof. It would cost us a fortune (that we don’t have) to switch over our current residence so we have decided to wait until we build our next house. It is odd to me that more people don’t do this – especially when the sun is out most days offering us free energy that we don’t take.
CFL lightbulbs – we started to use these bulbs around the house, but stopped after one blew prematurely and filled part of our lower floor with smoke. The smell was scary and the bulb was extremely hot to the touch. If they can improve on this in the future we will come back.
Recycling – We recycle everything from shopping bag to prescription pill containers. If it has one of those triangles with a number in it – I recycle it. (plastic hangers, styrofoam containers, old cd cases) We even recycle batteries.
Having a two year old requires us to have a big supply of batteries on hand. I know what they do to the landfill sites, so we keep them separate and take them to a hazardous waste disposal place.
Pesticides – For the most part all of our gardens and lawn are pesticide free. I use Bone and Blood Meal in the garden and we have just signed up for an organic grass treatment that will take us through to fall. Pesticides are VERY scary. They have been linked to growth defects, increased rate of miscarriages and a billion issues in kids. A green lawn is not worth my son’s health, besides a little soap and water and a dousing of vinegar goes a long way.
Bamboo – We buy bamboo products whenever possible. Before our son came home we took out some of our carpet and did Bamboo. Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on Earth. It has been clocked surging skyward as fast as 47.6 inches in a 24-hour period. It is organic and strong. It makes for great floors, cooking utensils, cutting boards, placemats and clothing.
Organics – We buy organics on occasion. I know how important it is to buy food that has not been treated with chemicals. I hand clean all of our fruits and vegetables before using them for our meals.
Room For Improvement – There is a lot of room for improvement in our environmental improvement plan. This summer we are getting a rain barrel to help conserve more water outside.
We plan to continue to respect our Earth and all the great things it provides us. If you just make one change it will have a lasting long term effect.
