Happy Earth Day!

I know that there are many people that think "going green" is fruity and that Global Warming is just something that conspiracy theorists and bleeding heart liberals made up to create green consumerism.

And maybe all of that is true....

But...

Is it really that bad to try and create a cleaner, healthier environment for ourselves and our children? Is it really that bad to want to reduce waste, to breathe clean air, to drink clean water, to eat fresh food, to preserve beautiful landscapes, and to protect animals...?

I don't think so, but then that's me.

Recently I have seen two movies that have inspired me to be more conscious about my choices.

The Cove

If you are an animal lover, this will break your heart.

And...

Oceans

Kate and I were fortunate to be able to see a special preview of this movie on Monday before it came out in theaters...and it was beautiful.

Also...

Did you know that there is a garbage patch that is twice the size of Texas that stretches from the coast of California to the coast of Japan and that in some areas it reaches up to 90 feet deep? And that there are at least 5 such (although not as large) garbage patches in different oceans all over the world?

Did you know that thousands and thousands of marine mammals die each year due to the ingestion of toxic plastic particles? And that those same plastic particles are also ingested by the fish that we so happily eat and therefore are ingested back into our system. I guess some would say that is Poetic Justice.

Most important of all though is what we as individual citizens can do to make a difference.
Here are a few ideas that I have been working on in my daily life, what are some of your ideas?
1. Take re-usable bags to the grocery store
2. Refill a re-usable water bottle rather than single use bottles
3. If your city offers it, take advantage of recycling programs
4. Conserve energy by turning off lights, reducing the use of air conditioning (I am horrible at this), etc.
5. Pay attention to how you use water
6. Walk or take mass transit when possible

Anyway, Happy Earth Day everyone!