HAPPY EARTH DAY!!

So what will you do to celebrate? Since this blog is all about being easy, here are some easy ideas:

1. You've heard it before (probably a million times before) so for goodness sake make the switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. You can buy them everywhere now. Don't let the price tag overwhelm you. You'll make the money back in savings on your power bill PLUS they last three years or more.

2. Recycle your glass, plastic, cardboard, newspaper and mixed paper. Not just today, but every day of the year. In most places, IT'S THE LAW!!!!

3. Eat Seasonally. Spring is here. Nature's bounty is everywhere. Feast on locally grown produce to reduce the miles that average food travels to land on your plate.

4. Choose chicken over beef. Beef is the largest consumer of energy in the food industry.

5. Turn the lights off. If you don't need them, don't use them. These days the sun sets so late that you could probably live by nature's light until well into the evening.

6. Compost your kitchen scraps. When you chop and peel all that local produce you are bound to have some scraps. Should you toss them in the trash? No. Instead, toss them in a compost bin out back. I recently bought a tall plastic hamper with a lid that has holes all over the sides and top. This is important because compost needs good air circulation. This is a very easy way to reduce your trash. Every little ounce makes a difference. The heavier the garbage truck is when it tows our kitchen waste that could have been composted, the more energy that is needlessly wasted. Composting is easy and fun. It's also a nutritious and natural way to feed your garden. You can compost with or without a garden but if you do garden, add some fresh compost around your plants every once in a while for cradle to cradle nourishment you can feel good about.

7.Don't shop today. We all have lists...grocery lists, hardware store lists, convenience store lists, yadda yadda yadda. Just take this one sacred day to stay away from shopping.

8. Speaking of sacred, I recently read that the best way to be green is to observe the Sabbath. For just one day this week, don't shop, don't watch TV, don't drive in your car. And oh, no computer either. Instead, take a walk, read a book, have a lively discussion, clean out your winter clothes for your spring and summer ones. It's just one day. Give it a try.

9. Go outside and pick up the garbage. I don't mean only on your property. Take a nice, long, leisurely walk with a bag and pick up all the trash you find. Take a few friends with you and make it a contest. The person with the most trash at the end wins! Even kids could do it.

10. Share this blog with everyone you know. Spreading the word is crucial to preserving a healthy environment.

Have a Happy Earth Day!