One less water bottle
While driving to work this morning it hit me. It’s almost here. It’s only a week away.
Now I understand most people count down days to vacations, birthdays or even something as simple as the weekend, but for me I’m counting down to Earth Day.
April 22, 1970 was the first Earth Day in the United States and served as a way for millions of Americans to let politicians know clean air, water and the environment in general matters.
Now fast forward 28 years. Every day most of us are reminded about the environment in some way.
For me, it hits me as soon as I leave my house by a billboard showing the two options - stop global warming or do nothing (a real pick-me-up for a 45 minute commute).
And I do try and do something. Granted, I don’t drive a hybrid and my sheets aren’t made out of bamboo, but I do clean up my trash and check my air filter with every oil change.
And when it comes to recycling I’m a freak. I actually break it down to plastic and glass, paper and cardboard. That means over the winter, when it was freezing, I was still standing outside my apartment building making sure to correctly place all the trash in their right metal bin.
But why the excitement for Earth Day? Two reasons.
No. 1 - I’m running my first 5K on April 19 (but it’s still in observance of Earth Day). The $15 entrance fee went to the Bottineau Neighborhood Association. It’s important because not only is this in the area I live, but it keeps a really outdoor friendly healthy neighborhood going strong.
No. 2 - I’m actually treating Earth Day like New Year’s and making a resolution.
This year I’ve decided to give up plastic bottles.
According to the Washington, D.C.-based Earth Policy Institute, 29 million plastic water bottles are manufactured a year, which takes the equivalents of 17 million barrels of crude oil to produce.
And then what happens to most of the bottles in the end? They end up in landfills anyway.
So this year my Earth Day resolution is to stop using water bottles, and instead make it a point to refill my Nalgene bottle.
So when you see me with my bright yellow bottle wherever I go, look at it the same way you do any resolution - only it’s not for me - it’s for the Earth, and then ask yourself, what am I doing?
Way to go Liz! The water bottle story was great. I hope if people use the water bottles at least recycle them.
Earth Day came and went for many without much thought. Thanks for getting us thinking about what we can do as individuals to make the world a better place to live. What we do today will really make a difference tomorrow.
My Earth Day resolution was to start using canvas bags for all my grocery shopping - they’re far more durable and way better for the planet. And I even get complimented on them at the store. :)
I actually came across this post as I was on the thisweeklive.com site, trying to find a way to opt out of the free Saturday newspaper they give me that I always end up throwing into the recycling bin right away.