Happy Earth Day!

What are you doing for the earth today?

I woke up pondering this thought this morning as soon as I realized it was Earth Day. I have been thinking about this all morning as I get ready for work.

I thought back to my 1 Million Acts of Green post. I had only committed to 17 acts on George's list. Surely, there must be more than 17 things I do on a daily basis that are 'green'. In actuality, I think that many of my environmentally friendly practices, I do without even thinking- turning the light off when I leave a room, separating my garbage, turning the heat down when I travel.

Certainly, I have much room for improvement. I have started to read Sophie Uliano's Gorgeously Green
(I will write more about it another day), and while I am not very far in the book, I have completed my 'Lifestyle Checklist'. I have opportunity to improve, namely the following are items that I plan to address:

• Do I know what's in my beauty products and read the labels (hmm chemicals arn't good for my face?)


• Is my water heater wrapped ?


• Do you have a garden ? Was a no, but I plan to start one!


• Do you know about native plants? Also my intention to learn


• Do you wash your car at home? Check your tire pressure weekly?

Other times, I find my beliefs to be challenged by practices that may be more 'green'. For instance, I will not switch to organic or non-"factory farmed" meats. Foremost, the definition of the latter is grossly exaggerated and in my opinion, all meat is non-factory farmed. Am I ignorant? No, I grew up on a farm and I appreciate and understand the measures that my neighbours take to raise beef and poultry, and they are nowhere close to the scary images PITA would like to lead the public to believe. Enough about that.

I already strive to buy only Ontario-grown produce (strawberries are my one weakness), so in many cases there is so much carbon emitted from transporting organic produce to our grocery stores, I think it defeats the purpose. Organic cotton clothes and bed linens? I think that this may become a case of affordability for me.

My success with sticking to the new Acts I committed to in January, such as not going through the drive-thru, boycotting plastic water bottles (I even scolded an upper manager for choosing Figi water over the table water at a meeting), and bringing a thermal mug for coffee everyday, have inspired me to push myself to do more.

I will be shopping for paints free of volatile organic compounds (VOC) when I paint my spare room. I plan to check out the Habitat for Humanity Restore for used building materials. I purchased my garden topsoil from the dump's landscaping materials recovery centre, and I will get my mulch there this year also. I hope to use a rain barrel this summer to water my plants.

What are you doing today for Earth Day? What changes can you make in your lifestyle to be gorgeously green?