Why To Celebrate Earth Day Every Day
I heard the scariest statistics in the last week.
First, was one I overheard on a podcast, that the topsoil on the Earth has a time limit. The UN predicts we had 60 years of topsoil left before it was gone. Note, I said HAD because that was 2014.
So when my children have children, and possibly grandchildren, there will be no topsoil left.
I can’t even fathom that reality.
The second is the garbage patch that has just been found in the Artic. I’ve been staring at my plastic consumption, and between the great floating islands of trash and the microplastics sprinkled like sand all over, and the last couple years have just made me feel shame and pain over the earth that is being handed down.
it’s never to late to make any change, but it is essential to start making BIG changes, now.
I made this. Have you ever seen my portfolio?
I’m lucky to live in California with an abundance of produce. Where I can buy locally and avoid some of the pesticides that are putting strawberries at the top of the list for the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen again.
We’ve also spent several years in a drought, which has brought landscape changes I hope last. Some of the natives around are beautiful, and who hasn’t enjoyed the popularity of succulents, right? I planted a rainbow of succulents when we moved into the house after we found out there was no sprinkler access to that area, and have loved how they thrive in the winter with no attention at all, and a misting of water occasionally in the hot dry heat of summer.
Celebrating Earth Day everyday can be as simple as those small realities and continually educating yourself on the stark realities that are currently wreaking havoc that is affecting everyone, everyday. Right now my sons are watching herring go through a gauntlet of whales and fishermen in Alaska, and I made hummus (raising livestock takes a toll on resources, I’m working on eating more protein from plant sources).
I see what some are adamant about doing. Conserving water, avoiding pesticides. Challenge yourself to take the next step somewhere. This year I’m working on conserving energy and making a master list of fresh fruit salads that will be in season and delicious straight from the fridge to cool us off. I’m also cutting down on my plastic use (a big help is California’s bag ban) and avoiding buying food and drinks when out to cut down on waste, including plastic straws.
I’m on the lighter side of these things, but I need to step up, just like everyone else in our culture does. And this is not shaming if you don’t do one of these things, but you need to understand why it it is becoming more more important for everyone to think this way. We will not have the amount of resources we have much longer.
So pack your own water.
Try out Meatless Mondays, Vegan Before 6… so many choices to cut down on animal products. They taste good, but they use way more water and resources than produce. And space of the earth, and release methane into the atmosphere.
Learn to compost vegetable scraps and grow as much of your own produce as you can.
Take a plastic bag on your next family walk.
Buy clothes conservatively, or try thrifting (I have a crush on Thrifted Transformations’s channel) and avoid disposable dishware when possible.
Are you trying to step it up this Earth Day? How are you honoring it?
