Going Green this Earth Day

Going green, we hear it all the time now but what does it really mean? To me it really is about the three R's, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Humans have to use resources that is just a part of survival but the way we use resources needs to change to ensure a livable planet for our descendants. Did you know that people in the United States consume 40% more resources on average than people in the rest of the world. Not just our own resources but global resources. The way we live here affects the global community. I urge all of you to go onto myfootprint.org to see the impact of your own lifestyle. One of the problems is that the human population has increased so dramatically. It took thousands of years for the population to reach 1 billion in the 1800's. Since then it has skyrocketed to 9 billion. At this point we have passed the carrying capacity of the Earth, which is the level at which the planet's resources can support the population. Since we are already have this deficit the way we live must be altered to offset the population. So what can we do everyday to make a difference? Here are some easy things we can incorporate into our daily lives;
Reduce
Buy permenant items not disposable
Buy only what you need
Buy items with less packaging
Conserve water(for every minute less you shower you save 5 gallons)
Turn off lights and unplug small appliances when not in use
Reuse
Repair items as much as possible
Use reusable items like mugs and grocery bags
Use cloth napkins or towels
Recycle
Everything from paper to electronics to oil
Buy recycled products

If we reduce the amount we consume and recycle what we do use we can make a difference. Did you know that plastic is not biogradable? Everything you buy that is plastic will still be with us in 200 years. Keep that in mind when you make purchases. Other things you could do to celebrate this Earth day are learning to compost or planting a tree, but be sure to plant something that does not require a lot of water. I hope you will go green with me this Earth day so we can leave a better planet for Alli, Victoria, Mia, Archer, Halle, Avery, Lola, Elsie, and Lottie. Thanks