Earth Day Everyday

We all seem to wake up in lieu of Earth Day once a year. Why not incorporate these Earth loving habits into our daily lives?  Here are 5 ares of our lives we should be mindful of everyday!

1. Driving: This is the single most polluting thing that we do! Not only does driving emit toxins into the air, the processes of extracting and transporting fossil fuels adds to it! If you're going to drive, make sure your up to date with your maintenance- this will prolong your fuel economy. But think about alternative forms of transportation- taking a train, a bus, or car pooling. Better yet- how about walking? Think about burning off a few extra calories and breathing in that clean air you're helping to create!

2.  Consumption: How much do you need to own to be happy? What is more important- owning or access? The concept of "collaborative consumption" raises the idea of using network technologies to do more with less by renting, lending, swapping, bartering, gifting and sharing products. A truly revolutionary concept of sustainability. Access to these networks are only a click away and eliminate the middle man. Go ahead and buy that piece of furniture made by an artisan on Etsy or hire a handyman through Task Rabbit! 

3.  Energy: We all know about the idea of turning off the light when we aren't using it and even unplugging appliances when we aren't home. Are you using energy efficient light bulbs? Have you gone solar? You don't need a house to go solar- if you're renting, pitch the idea of installing solar panels to your building manager. How many times a day do you plug in your devices to charge? Solar charging solutions exist! 

4.  Food: Where does your food come from? Eating organic is not only good for your personal health, but for the environment too! It reduces the use of non-renewable energy, the risk of groundwater pollution, and soil pollution. Your food isn't traveling very far, so you're automatically helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Plus, organic food is delicious- your stomach will be happy too! 

5.  Waste: Take the time to separate recyclable materials and compost from actual "garbage."  Think about if it is actually "garbage" first! Can it serve another purpose? Can it be donated? 75% of our waste is recyclable and 21.5 million tons of our waste can be composted! 

It's the little things that add to big changes. Even if you make one small change, it matters!