Earth Day is a holiday much different than other well known holidays. It is a day that actually benefits the world around us and teaches us to appreciate the place we live our lives and not take it for granted. There are so many ways to give back to the Earth and on this day we try to express our gratitude for having such a wonderful resource at our fingertips.
Earth Day is only one day but you can "celebrate" it every day just by doing a few simple things to help the Earth stay clean and fresh.
1) Ride your bike to class (or work).
There is so much pollution emitted from buses and cars. Even cars that are better for the environment use up gas and we all know that is a resource that may run out at any moment. Riding your bike has so many benefits. It gives you exercise which is beneficial because you are actually going somewhere instead of running in place on a treadmill. It definitely saves gas money because you don't use any! Riding your bike also allows you to discover new paths to take each time you go somewhere and it can be a refreshing way to relieve stress when you are returning home. You can just take a leisurely peddle through a bike path.
2) Save electricity.
Energy Star really does a great job of having energy saving products available to the community. They have compact fluorescent light bulbs which use about 40% less energy than regular bulbs. They also make washers, refrigerators, and even computers that use less energy than the regular product. You can also always save electricity by turning off the lights when you aren't in the room!
3) Use less water.
Your parents always told you to turn off the water when you brush your teeth but how many of you actually did that? I know I didn't. I know now that it really helps save water but I couldn't care less when I was younger. By turning off the water when you brush your teeth and taking shorter showers, we can save billions of gallons of water a day.
4) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
Probably the most well-known but under-utilized phrase around. We all know it but we don't always follow its simple advice. So many bottles are thrown away in the trash just because people cannot find a recycling bin. It really makes a difference. Also, if you don't want that bottle to end up in a landfill, make sure you take off the cap before you recycle it. Reuse bottles and containers as much as you can. I know they say plastic bottles develop germs when they are reused but if you only use them a couple of times, such as filling them up the same day you opened them, the benefits outweigh any chances of getting sick.
Take time today and every day to re-evaluate what you do to help keep our Earth clean.
I feel like Earth Day is also just a time where we can appreciate nature and what goes on in areas that we don't normally look into on a day to day basis. I have recently been watching the series "Planet Earth" again and am completely fascinated with our planet and what incredible things there are that I never knew existed. Happy Earth Day!
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