Earth Day

Tomorrow is Earth Day. I'm not an environmental activist or anything like that, but I try to be aware of the world around me. I try to the best of my ability to make decisions that won't negatively affect the delicate balance of nature. Yes, I could do better, I could do more, and I agree that it's hard in the world we live in to try to make every decision based on how it impacts our planet.

I ALWAYS recycle, I try to buy organic when I can, I've drastically cut down on my meat intake, I try to limit my driving (while staying realistic), I try not to waste water, I shut off appliances which are unnecessary, I reuse what I can, etc, etc, etc.

I know we can all do our part. I get frustrated to no end when I see people who have absolutely no regard for the planet. My neighbor for instance, who can't seem to tell the difference between the big blue recycle bin and the big black trash bin. My fiance's coworker who goes out of his way to throw out his soda cans in her presence (when it's equally easy to toss it in the recycle bin) because it bothers her. I don't expect everyone to be an activist, in fact I'm far from it, but these examples are such SIMPLE measures, which don't even take an ounce of extra effort on anyone's part.

All I ask is that people think about their actions and what effects they have. I urge my readers (all one or two of you!) to if nothing else take a moment to be conscious of the decisions you make. Whether it's simply holding on to your cigarette butt until you find a trashcan to toss it in, taking only one or two napkins instead of a stack next time you eat out, or opting for organic or local produce at the market.

A few facts which I recently have learned

• Upwards of half the grain grown worldwide is used to feed animals which are directly raised for human consumption
  
• 60-80% of deforestation is at the hands of the meat industry, mostly corporate giants clear cutting land (especially in poor countries) to raise livestock and grow food to feed that livestock
  
• To raise animals to the point that they're ready for consumption takes 6 times more grain than it would take to simply feed humans grain based products
  
• In places around the world many communities have a lack of clean drinking water, because corporate giants like Coke and Pepsi have used the water for their products.
  
• It takes significantly more energy (I forget the exact amount, but it was a quite a bit; it was something like 3 times as much, or enough to power a television for an hour) to produce an aluminum soda can from scratch as compared to producing it from recycled material.
  

This is just a small sample of facts that make me consider my way of life. I'm sure the more you dig the more you will find.

Also, visit the Earth Day website.