Every day is earth day but today, April 22nd, we celebrate the date worldwide. On Earth Day millions of people all around the world will be going green today. Here are some things you can do:
-Call your Congressman and tell them: "The current global warming proposals in Congress are inadequate. I want renewable energy, no more new coal-burning plants, carbon-neutral buildings, and a new green economy." (capitol: 202-224-3121 and ask for your city's Congressman. Direct line to Lincoln Diaz-Balart 202-225-4211)
-Get rid of plastic bags! Use a reusable cloth or paper bags or no bag at all. Reuse your grocery bags as trash bags. If you do have plastic bags make sure to recycle them!
-Never ever liter into the ocean.
-Use empty jars to hold leftover food instead of buying Tupperware.
-Use cloth napkins or towels.
-Recycle your electronics (by either giving it away or dropping it off at a Best Buy store recycling kiosks located just inside the door. )
-Take a 5 minute cold shower. 
-Plant a tree.
-Go organic today and only buy local grown organic food.
-Use public transportation or car pool to work today and if you want to be really eco-friendly use your god-given form of transportation, your pretty set of feet!
Environment impact of plastic shopping bags
The raw material of plastic bags is oil. Therefore, the more we use plastic bags, the more we waste oil - a non-renewable energy source. The petroleum-based plastic bags take decades to break down, so if they are not recycled they litter. It creates visual pollution: in the streets, on the beaches etc. Also, they can clog roadside drains, which could cause street flooding during heavy rainfall. Plastic bags can be recycled but it rarely happens: according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, only 1% of plastic bags were recycled in 2000, against twenty percent for paper bags.
They endanger wildlife and particularly sea life such as sea turtles and dolphins which can die of entanglement, suffocation, and ingestion because they assume that these bags are jellyfish.
For the past few years, there has been rising international awareness regarding the damaging and dangerous impact on the environment of plastic bags. Governments all over the world have decided to get involved in that particular issue: Some governments have decided to ban them: Bangladesh, Bhutan and Zanzibar. Plastic bags should no more be given for free in China from June 1st. These bags are surcharged in Germany, South Africa, Ireland and Israel. Several countries try and promote, trough major retailers, the use of cloth bags, paper bags or grocery bags: United Kingdom (with Tesco), France (with Carrefour), New Zeland.
Plastic bags are already used less than paper bags by American consumers, and there have been no government actions to further curb their use. But large cities such as San Francisco and Portland, OR, have planned or plan to ban plastic bags, whereas Seattle, WA will certainly launch a 20 cent “green fee” on plastic bags.
What YOU can still do!
Reuse your plastic shopping bags: use them as trash so as not to buy others that are more energy wasting; use them for storage.
Use paper bags rather than plastic bags when you are given the choice.
Use reusable grocery bags, which always have a lower environmental impact.
3 comments:
This is a great post Bianca, as always. I appreciate your help in highlighting the simple acts we can all do to make a greater impact for the world and its (our) future.
Going along with the plastic bag thing. I want to share what a little anecdote. Sometimes I forget to bring my little earth bag into the supermarket or convenience store with me. But after making that commitment that I will not waste unnecessary plastic bags due to my laziness or forgetfulness, I decided to just carry out my stuff with me that day, in my hands. Yeah, why was it that I chose the day to walk out with Tampax Pearl and matching set of panty liners? Well to make all my tree-hugging friends proud, I walked triumphantly with my fem products out the door making sure to hold my head high and be proud of my enviro-conscious-womanhood. Any other people have anecdotes to share?
Good awareness!! We must all contribute in order for our future generations to have air to breath. I am involved in a project where ordinary trash is processed and turned into energy. It's an amazing machine that we are trying to place in hopefully every country in the world. It is odorless and absolutely sends no smoke or anything harmful into the air. I pray that the government around the world takes an interest in this product. It can save our breath.
Mom
Hi Brenda!
Just yesterday I bought an eggplant on my way home because I wanted to cook a yummy eggplant parmesan. After I checked out and they were about to put my pretty little eggplant into a plastic bag. I said no Thanks! It's earth day today!
So, I walked home, with some attention from passerby-ers, holding my pretty purple eggplant and also felt the same enviro-conscious-womanhood as you.
Bianca
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