The "Remember...It's Your Earth Too!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Somewhat ordinary, but a day that should have some impact on you, since today is Earth Day!  Did you forget?  I know...all you can think about anymore is searching for the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.  It will arrive soon!  Remember, it won't be long before you are able to safely visit with friends, go out to eat, go to the movies, etc., etc.  One good thing about the long pandemic was that it has made our earth a better place.  Air pollution has decreased, water quality has improved and noise pollution has dropped according to NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.  Now...if we could only live the rest of our lives as if we were still in a long pandemic tunnel, our planet would be forever grateful!  We can do it, you know, but it would require everyone to participate throughout the world.  We do have a chance to do better!  Here's how we can all help to get started.

1.  In 2018, 11.3 million tons of textiles went into landfills.  That's awful!  Why can't we keep the stuff that's already been made in circulation longer?  There would be less impact on the planet from more production of fabrics.  All you have to do is think a bit more when you are buying something to wear.  Could you place a patch on the pair of jeans you have and wear them longer?  Actually, jeans look so much better today if they have tears in them.  Why not stop at a thrift shop and buy something second-hand.  That way the imperfections might already be in the jeans.  Why not shop online at a used clothing site or maybe trade clothes with a friend your size.  Could you form a "BuyNothing" group whose members gift each other stuff they no longer need or want?  If you do need to buy a new pair of jeans, consider a place that sells Levi's and Madewell which have partnered with Cotton's Blue Jeans Go Green program which gives discounts to those who turn in a pair of jeans before buying a new one.  Patagonia also gives you a store credit for returning merchandise to them when you no longer want it.  

2.  It's time to ditch the glitter!  When those tiny pieces of plastic enter the ocean, fish and seabirds as well as other marine life gobble them up which in turn will more than likely kill them.  Remember...it's plastic!  Last year scientists found the highest concentration of dangerous-to-sea-life microplastics ever measured on the ocean floor.  It was about 1.9 million pieces in 11 square miles.  You do realize that the makeup glitter you use can kill a sea animal when you wash it off in your sink at home.  It goes down the drain, into the sewer system and eventually finds it way into the ocean.  Why not use products that use synthetic mica, a sparkly but biodegradable alternative to plastic glitter.

3.  How about quitting the plastic habit altogether!  We eat, swallow or breathe 2,000 particles of plastic a week which is about the weight of a credit card.  If we don't stop cutting back on plastics, scientists predict the amount dumped in our oceans will triple in 20 years.  It is so pervasive that if you take a minute to walk room by room through your home, you'll see it everywhere.  If you floss every day, you're tossing 7.3 little plastic floss containers every year along with the shampoo bottles, kitchen sponges and plastic straws.  Why not try and buy products that are non-plastic or biodegradable or with containers that can be refilled or reused?  You know you can do it if you try.

4. Everyone needs to be food smart and don't throw away the 219 pounds per person in plastic products that we now do every year.  The majority of the food waste happens in grocery stores, restaurants and food service businesses, but it also happens at home.  Try and reuse your plastic items as many times as you can before throwing them away.

5. See if you can find a new way to compost.  Food scraps and yard waste make up more than 30% of what we throw away each day.  Composting is a great way to reduce waste.  Food scraps don't break down in landfills and take up space and release methane which is a big contributor to global warming.  Home composting doesn't have to stink or attract rodents.  Bokashi composting uses microorganisms to effectively "pickle" food waste into a nutrient-rich mix that can be dug into the soil where it breaks down completely within a few weeks.

If we all did our part, our Earth would be a better place to live.  But, we all know that everyone willl not participate, so we have to be doubly sure that we follow the ideas I have presented to you in my story today.  Remember...this earth is home to you and me and it will not live forever if you don't help to take care of it.  Try your hardest, please!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.