It isn't easy being green....

Thanks to the over hype of Mr. Gore's "Inconvenient Truth", his 'do as I say not as I do' attitude and the fact that he admits to lying to get his point across, many people are either completely freaked out about global warming or completely apathetic.

Today is Earth Day. For me, I choose to commune with my inner hippy chick earth mother flower power girl and celebrate. Hey anything for a party right? I am here to convince you -not to join a camp, but to be a nice person.

Back when I was a little girl there was a campaign to help folks realize that somehow the trash faeries had left the planet and that if you threw your trash our a car window it would just stay there and blow around until it decomposed or found it's way into a fence or bush. They also explained to my ten year old self that things like diapers, styrofoam, and many other items would never decompose or take thousands if not millions of years to do so. Think Twinkies.

Because I bought in to all the hippy chick news back then I have always tried to reduce - reuse- recycle. We have energy efficient appliances, lights, and our heating and cooling bills are minimal due to our trying to use as little of those appliances as possible. We have low flow showers and toilets, and our landscaping is xeroscaped and au natural for our environment. We have recycle rubbish tins in the house and take care to take our trash back with us when we are out doors on vacations, etc. I have a zillion canvas bags to use instead of paper or plastic. While shopping at bulk stores I refuse boxes, because frankly, I will roll the groceries out to my car, put them into a trunk and drive them to my doorstep. All I have to do at that point is make a few more trips back and forth into the house, and I don't need to throw away a bunch of weird shaped boxes.

A couple of years back we here in California experienced an "energy shortage" wherein the government officials begged, plead, and offered bribes to those of use who would reduce our energy bills by 20%. The plan was that the utility companies would review your bill/statement record and calculate how your energy could be cut. The trouble with that plan was there were those of us who already were in energy conservation mode and had reduced as much as we could. Then there were the middle ground folks who earnestly tried the plan; and the people who feel the rules never apply to them and use whatever whenever they please, knowing the others people will take up the slack. grrr.

Here are a few Earth Day suggestions I would like us all to consider:

Whether or not one believes the earth is warming/cooling/or otherwise self destructing- wouldn't we be better off to pick up after ourselves, to conserve what resources we have; in other words just stop being so selfish and greedy and expecting someone else to clean it up or save it for us.

Here are a few more suggestions for folks who really want to go the extra mile:

"Carbon Footprint" Find out what a Carbon Footprint is and what you can do to reduce yours!
"Green Dimes" A place that helps you reduce those nasty junk mailers and plant trees at the same time.
"The Nature Conservancy" where you can find more info on adopting an acre, rescuing reefs, and donating to other green projects.
"Tree People" The answer's in the name.
"National Arbor Day Foundation" A terrific source for not only trees, but gardening, finding you agricultural zone and if you join you get a free tree!
"Kiva" A very cool site that helps you get a third world artisan's business up and going. You loan them the money and they pay you back!
"Heifer International" Another way to help in nations where people are struggling to get on their own feet. A little can go a very long way. And in the long run the folks you help are required to help someone else.
"LDS Foundation" I suggest the Humanitarian Aid (these are the folks the Red Cross go to first for help- you help them, they help the Red Cross, without the middle man getting a piece of the pie) and The Perpetual Education Fund (which loans college funds to dedicated students who then pay the money back so that someone else can have that opportunity also. Hence the name...perpetual!)
"The Emerald Market" A great source for buying "green".
"National Geographic" I threw this in just for inspiration...

Anyone else out there have terrific places for us to go and help out our dear Mother Earth and the people who live here? Let's have it!

Happy Earth Day everyone! Peace baby!