Earth Day – Celebration and Commitment

Thursday, April 22^nd is the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day which is celebrated by people all over the world since the Spring of 1970.  Today we don’t see any rivers burning, lakes dieing, an Indian with a tear running down his cheek as he views his streams and woodlands littered with debris.  Much progress has been made in protecting and preserving our environment.

Thanks to the many concerned citizens and politicians who saw what was happening and got us thinking – for at least one day a year – of the impact we have on the environment and the problems we were causing.  In 1970 Congress designated April 22^nd as a day to show our concern and commitment to protecting and preserving our environment.

Initially the emphasis was on the pollution caused by large companies and factories.  But as time went on, we began to realize the huge effect that individual homeowners and families have on the environment.  The fertilizers we use that runs-off our property to the lake; the amount of “stuff” we send to the landfill, much of which could be recycled; the household cleaners that contained phosphates and led to the lakes dieing.

Today, fish are living in the Cuyahoga River, on most days in the summer we are able to swim in the lake water, our parks are clean and filled with walking and biking paths encouraging to enjoy the outdoors.  We celebrate these achievements and commit ourselves to continue and do even more.

At home, let’s make every day Earth Day.  What’s one more thing we can do to make our home friendlier to the environment and safer for our family?  Possibly we could do a better job of shutting off lights and our computers and other electronic devices when not being used.  Or we could be more diligent in recycling; or begin changing over to CFL light bulbs; or shut-off water while we are brushing our teeth and shaving; use recyclable bags; start a compost bin. . .  Or Google “Earth Day” for many ‘green’ suggestions.

And let’s take a good look at the household cleaners we’re using.  More than 9 out of every 10 suspected poison exposures occur at home with household products. According to a 15 year study presented at the Toronto Indoor Air Conference, women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work away from home.  The study concluded that this was a direct result of the increased exposure to toxic chemicals, many of which are found in common household products.

There are some “Green” cleaners that are safe, effective and economical.  They clean at least as good as, or many times more effectively, as name brand cleaners.  They cost the same or less per use as the name brands – sometimes much less!  We’ll discuss these and other alternatives in future articles.

For now, how will you demonstrate your personal responsibility and commitment to make every day Earth Day, to make our planet and your home safer and more environmentally friendly?  To live in harmony with Nature?