Happy Earth Day from Bamboo!
For those of you who don’t know (and haven’t used Google yet today), April 22nd is earth day. Like any other day set aside for a noble cause, we are encouraged to take a series of actions to support the ideology it represents. Whether it be, taking the bus to work, using less water in the shower, or turning off your lights, we are given the self-satisfaction of successfully making a miniscule and insignificant difference in the world’s environment. Sorry to say it, but I feel we’ve lost perspective on the whole situation. I understand that the purpose of Earth Day is to instill good habits in societies every day living mechanisms; however, I feel like the day has become a “feel good” enterprise that allows the public to ignorantly place an absentminded bandaid over the rapidly growing gash we’ve dealt to the ever-deteriorating world. Sure, I support what Earth Day stands for, but here’s the approach i would take.
Welcome to the Real World
Taking a more… realistic approach to things, I feel it’s necessary to convey the more appropriate image to our world. Instead of flowering our environmental conscience with meager acts of green.
As Morpheus plainly puts it, our society has become oblivious to some of the ever-present issues that are surfacing. Although our world hasn’t been overtaken by an army or Artificial-Intellegence infused machines (at least to our knowing), we are suffering at the hands of a much more destructive force. Ourselves. So, what follows is my cynical approach to what kind of image Earth Day should present to the public.
The Garbage List
Here is a list of sites I’ve come across over the past few months that have accurately depicted the state of our environment:
A great site by Angie Leonard that illustrates the progression of “stuff” as it goes through its life cycle. I’d strongly suggest viewing the video, as it raises some interesting points.
Here are some major issues that are clear in our world. Instead of me re-iterating them here, check out the site, and post a comment below letting us know what you think.
An extensive list by our lovely friends at Wikipedia with links to other pages dealing with environmental problems. A great resource for educating yourself on the present day issues.So What?
Now that you’re slightly more educated on this issue, is that it? No. One theme that Earth Day does push is action. It’s more than simply sitting back and “knowing” that there are problems with the world. The complacent and apathetic approach to environmental sustainability is quite pathetic, personally. So, with that said, here is a list of things you should do - not only today, on Earth Day, but adapt your way of life to incorporate these good habits.
1. If you don’t have curbside recycling take your recycling materials to a local school or library with recycling bin. Schools and libraries are paid for the material they recycle. The money they earn goes to providing better services at these facilities (more books, renovations, student trips, etc.).
2. Refer a local non-profit organization to a program like Abitibi Recycling Program or something similar. To make the referral log on to the Abitibi Recycling Program website and fill out the referral form. Abitibi will contact your referral and set it all up for free. The local non-profit organization will earn money for the material they recycle.
3. Start a compost pile, or buy a compost bin to place your leaves and kitchen scraps inside.
4. Take the bus today. If the bus stop is too far away ride your bike to the bus stop. Did you know many buses now have bike racks to place your bikes while riding the bus?
5. Carpool. If your coworker lives on the way to your commute to work go ahead and pick him/her up.
6. Spring clean you home, office or company and donate your unwanted, but still good items, to a resale shop, a church, the Salvation Army or other charity. Your home, your conscious and the earth will be cleaner for it.
7. If you haven’t done so yet replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones.
8. Donate your electronics to programs such as: Cell Phone for Soldiers, America’s Computers for Kids, etc.
9. Donate money to your favorite green cause.
10. Write a letter or email to your favorite companies thanking them for doing their part for the environment.
11. Plant a plant or more with your family and if possible with you neighbors.
12. Go online and search for educational recycling crafts (such as making new paper out of old shredded paper) for kids and adults. When you find useful website bookmark them to easily refer to them on rainy days.
13. Be creative and come up with an innovative way to live green.
14. Adopt a beach, a park, or a street and help clean it up.
15. Log on to Earth Day and register to vote.
16. Go to an Earth Day Event. To find a location nearest you visit Earth Day Network.
17. Freecycle! Freecycle! Freecycle!
18. Have a garage sale. You will be surprised at what people will buy at garage sales. You’ll earn a few dollars; clean out your home and help your old items find new homes.
19. Forward links of environmental websites like AboutMyPlanet.com to your friends and family.
20. Organize your address and phone list of resale shops, thrift stores, consignments stores,recycling center and other green locations in an address book. Keep a copy of this list in your car. In addition map out how far away these locations are from each other to save gas when you visit several of these locations at a time.
21. Sign a “green” petition you approve of.
22. Share what you’ve done or plan to do for Earth Day below in the comments section! (List Taken from http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/daily-green-tips/things-earth/)
The Bamboo Take
Bamboo Designs and our designers, make a conscious effort to reduce our carbon footprint. Visit Bamboo Green to see how we consider the environment.
Tags: bamboo designs, bamboogreen, earth day, environment, green
lol morpheus
Good work mate
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