Earth Day

by Peter Geiger Updated: April 30, 2024

Earth Day started in 1970 during my college years. I remember it as being a day to plant a tree and to “love the earth” for at least one day. It grew out of a concern about overpopulation and the need to get to “Zero Population Growth” in the world. But, over the years, the importance of Earth Day has grown into a time to not only plant a tree and grow food but to rethink how we live and what we do all year long. Only a few years ago, we bought disposable cameras, dishes, utensils and anything else that made life “convenient” for us . Today, we are concerned about buying bottled soda and water, using plastic bags and the long term condition of our landfills. This has grown into a consideration of what we treat the Earth today and for generations to come.

So, in 2009, Earth Day is also about cleaver ways to recycle. In some ways we have finally entered an era where we are all asked to be good responsible citizens. In the 2009 Farmers’ Almanac we have 5 Ways you may be hurting the Earth. Let me quickly recap them with appropriate solutions:

1. Paying bills electronically vs.. snail mail – If every household in the US viewed and paid bills electronically, we could reduce 1.7 billion pounds of waste each year.

2. Bath vs.. Shower – while a bath can be relaxing, it uses much more water than a shower. You can save 1000lbs of CO2 a year if you rinse off in a shower, instead of a bath. And, if you reduce your shower time by 1 minute, you can save more than 500 gallons of water each year.

3. Buying out or eat at home – While there is a convenience factor with a drive up window, try cooking at home. You save all the paper and wrappers and chances are the food will be healthier too.

4. Pulling the plug – we know that most of the energy use in a home comes in the form of “phantom energy”. This is all the LCD lights that are on your DVD player, VCR , computer and other appliances just waiting to be used. The answer is to use a power strip. Not only can you turn the power off, but you save the flow of electricity when they are not needed. This one action we believe will save 150,000 tons of CO2 per year.

5. Washing clothes cold vs.. warm – machines and detergents do just fine in cold water. I have been using cold for the last 15 years with no problems. Why wash with gallons of hot / warm water when it doesn’t improve the outcome. And, when you are appliance shopping, look for a front-loading Energy Efficient model which saves water and electricity. And, while you are at it, use only half the recommended amount of soap. For drying, use a solar powered dryer – also known as a clothesline.

These are only 5 things that can change the impact on the earth and save you valuable dollars. Check our website for more suggestions. As always, we appreciate your suggestions.