Welcome! I’m so happy you’ve found your way here. If it was just by chance … well you’ve joined me on the right day because it’s Just Romance Me Earth Day Blog Hop weekend with all kinds of wonderful authors to check out and plenty of prizes to be won. (If you’re not on the “bus” just click HERE to start at the beginning.) One lucky hop participant will also be chosen at random to win a $75 gift card and a second will win a $25 gift card.
I love Earth Day. My first true experience celebrating happened on the mall in Washington. Mr. Nina and I were there by chance with our children (who were really young … so that’ll tell you how many years ago that was … I have grandchildren now!) and we got to take part in all kinds of activities. Now, I like to think earth day is every day!
So here are a few tips on protecting Mother Earth:
1. Think Green
Sometimes being eco-friendly is just thinking about something before you do it. Like refilling a mug at your local Starbucks instead of using a Styrofoam cup or packing your lunch in plastic washable containers rather than ziploc bags. I mean really … would you not want to enjoy a walk through a beautiful green field with your honey?
2. Conserve Water
Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when you have a full load. And of course you can take smarter showers by using low flow shower-heads. Better yet … bathe with a friend.
3. Fuel Efficient Automobiles
A car that gets 20 miles to the gallon emits 50 tons of carbon dioxide over it’s life time. Double the gas mileage and cut down the amount of air pollution. Cutting your mileage by combining errands helps cut back on the consumption of fossil fuel and for more conservation … wrap your arms around someone and share a ride!
4. Save the Trees!
Use rags instead of paper towels for cleaning. Don’t print out every memo or email at work. When possible print on both sides of paper. (I actually save junk mail and print on the back of that.) Be sure to recycle used paper. And to save more trees of course you should buy E-BOOKS! All the benefits of a print book without any of the waste of paper! Sometimes being a tree-hugger can be a sensual experience!
So there you have it, my tips for earth day! Hope you enjoyed the photo illustrations. I know some people are visual learners. (Sorry, I can’t help you tactile learners! *vbg*) Let me know which suggestion you liked best or what little thing you do to help the environment that I didn’t mention … or just mention one of my ebooks you’ve enjoyed …
**** GIVE AWAY ****
Anyone commenting on this post between now and MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2013 before noon EDT, will be eligible for a print copy of HEALER’S GARDEN and a $15 Amazon gift card. (Shipping to US residents only. An international winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card only.)
I love summer. I know, it’s too hot and sticky, but it’s not all those layers of clothing and heavy boots and … shoveling. I hate shoveling. LOL! Mr. Nina and I have found a wonderful spot in our new home state. Beavertail State Park. We’ve gotten in the habit of grabbing a picnic dinner and heading over there to sit in the grass and enjoy the sunset and last night … the moonrise.
I grew up on the ocean in Maine, but for the last 22 years lived on the Canadian border. Beautiful–yes. Ocean–no. So being near the water where the gentle rhythm of the waves steadies my heart and the tangy aroma of sea salt mixes with the wild rose and juniper, filling my lungs with pure heaven.
Ah, I am complete again. Here are just a few of the pictures we’ve taken over the last couple of weeks…
This week celebrates Mother Earth with Wednesday being the actual celebration of Earth Day. All week I’ll be posting about the Environment.
Today, is confession day. I think I do a lot for the environment. I recycled before it was fashionable. Hey I’m old enough to remember “paper drives”. There was a time people bundled their newspaper and kids collected it like bottle drives of today. That’s how we raised money for our youth group. Now newspaper is simply one of those things we recycle without thought.
I used to have to sort my recyclables and take them to a drop-off station and put diferent numbered plastics, paper, cardboard, and glass in containers to be hauled to a recycling center. Now I’m spoiled and can mix it all in blue bags which gets taken with the regular trash and sorted at the transfer station. (I need to do a little preening here … with a family of four we generate only two bags of trash per week and two bags of recyclables … I think that deserves a pat on the back.)
When I was healthy I used to ride my bike, take a backpack and stop at the post office, bank and grocery store to do the quick errands. I can’t do that anymore, but I used to.
So what exactly do I have to confess? *deep breath and hangs head in shame*. My cleaners. They’re bad and I know it. Now don’t misunderstand … I’m not a germaphobe. I believe in natural fauna on the skin and all that, but I like clean clothes and my bathroom free of soap scum.
I know there are cleaners out there that are more natural and don’t send nasty chemicals through my pipes to the water treatment plant. But I can’t help myself. I’ve tried some of them and they just didn’t make my whites white and the scum in my shower go away.
Yes, I even use bleach. (Now don’t all gasp at once.)
I said it. I do. Not every time I do a white wash, but about once a month. And when I do it, I use hot water and make the furnace run … oh, I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself. The caustic stuff I use in the shower is even worse. But vinegar and baking soda just don’t seem to cut it. Okay, well, now that I’ve said that, I have to admit I haven’t tried it. Guess that’s next. See how it actually works. I’m hoping since I’ve said it out loud I can begin working other, more earth-friendly cleaners into my cupboards.
I won’t let hubby fertilize the lawn or use weed killer because that stuff runs off into the water table when it rains. Yet, I haven’t given up my one addiction. I was kinda hoping the other stuff I did would make up for it? It doesn’t, I know, but it’s kinda how I lived with myself.
I’m curious how you take care of the environment and if you also have that one guilty thing that you know is bad for the earth, but haven’t been able to give up.
Come on, confess … it’s good for the soul.
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