Earth Day is tomorrow - April 22nd

Tomorrow the calendar is marked with "Earth Day," a day to draw our awareness to the environment and what a terrible state of things the world is in these days. I write about this "holiday" because it's making such big news, and I must be honest to say I don't really know what to say about the day.

I believe in supporting the environment. I get so frustrated when I'm at a stoplight and I look out to see all the cigarette butts resting up against the curb, knowing the people were too careless and selfish to use their ashtray for it's intended purpose. I watched a guy come out of a store the other day with a bag. He got into his car, pulled the bumper sticker he had bought out of the bag, toss the bag out of the door, proceeded to put the sticker on his car and then drive off. If it wasn't for fear of crazy people these days, many times I would say something to these inconsiderate people. But it's not just the littering.

I believe in animal rights and preserving their habitats - when it doesn't raise other problems. I'm not a big supporter of PETA, I personally think that some of the things they stand for are extreme. I'm sad to say that some of their members would rather see an animal have rights over humans. And on the topic of rights of non-humans, I heard something just the other day about some group now saying that plants had rights too. (I've looked for something to tell me that this is a joke, but so far there's nothing to dispute it.) Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not for the mindless destruction of anything, plants included, but come on! Are we going to be banned from walking on our lawns?

I've been paying more and more attention to the media and the news lately, and I'm so appalled by what I'm hearing. One of the big issues today is the price of gas and the US's dependency on other countries for oil. This of course leads to a discussion on drilling in Alaska, something that until recently I'd been uninformed and a little apathetic about. The environmentalists don't want it to happen. Others do. What's the right answer? Who knows, but some of the facts have really surprised me.

Did you know that there are 19.6 million acres involved overall as part of the ANWR - or Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. Not all of these 19.6 million acres are marked as "refuge." In fact, only 9.16 million acres is actually part of the refuge, with another 8 million acres designated as "wilderness." There is a total of 1.5 million acres (known as the 10-02 area after a bill about this area) set aside "specifically for 'oil and gas exploration.'” I was shocked. Out of 19 million acres, they only need less than 2 million to drill, and yet the environmentalists don't want them to do it. We could provide for some of our own need and help ourselves... But then I thought, well, maybe this is beautiful wildlife land and should be saved. Guess what? Not even that is a reason.

Of the land they want to drill, it is described as "completely flat and barren with no trees, hills, or mountains. Nine months of the year is covered with snow and ice and practically void of life. Three of those months are in total 24 hour darkness. In the 6 weeks of summer the coastal plain is dotted with thousands of lakes and is covered by boggy tundra on permafrost (permanently frozen ground)." Not exactly a huge tourist attraction. And devoid of life - sounds like a lot of animals losing a home, huh?

I'm not a scientist, and obviously I guess I don't count as an environmentalist. I do support the idea of taking care of our earth, but I don't see why we can't do it in more practical ways. Like by not being so wasteful. Or by carpooling when possible. Fox network has put out a few environmental videos with tips on small things people can do to help make a difference.

This is just one of several of their videos:

I would say recycling is high on the list, but I would have to add that recycling when prudent is something to participate in. Did you know that in some cases it takes more energy, puts out more waste, and costs more to recycle some things than it's worth? Also, in an article The Myth and Cost of Recycling, "the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment stated that recycling changes the nature of pollution, sometimes increasing it and sometimes decreasing it."

Again, I'm not against recycling in all cases, but we should be smart about which issues we push and which ones we let go. Sometimes it's hard to be truly educated about these things with all the sides screaming at us about what is right. Instead of pushing for recycling everything, why not start by bringing your own tote bags to the grocery store so we don't have all these plastic bags worrying us at home? Or, instead of wondering what we're going to do with the plastic water bottles, use a washable container and refill it with water from home? Most bottled water is glorified tap water anyway.

Unplug the appliances you're not using. Discontinue your paper delivery when you're not going to be in town - or just subscribe to the weekend issues if you don't really read it. Open your windows when it's nice weather instead of turning on your air conditioner (I realize some people with severe allergies can't do this), or put on a sweater when it gets cool (note I did not say cold!) out instead of cranking up the heat. These are just a few ideas to start implementing - and they don't cost you anything. Everyone is joining the fray, even BabyCenter has an article on their site called Going Green: 20 small steps that make a big difference that has some really great ideas, most of which are also budget friendly.

Education is key, so maybe the way I want our family to start acknowledging Earth Day is by educating ourselves on the true state of the environment and separating the truths from myths, as well as coming up with ways we can all make a difference, no matter how small.

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Earth Day is tomorrow - April 22nd

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