An Earthy Day

Image via Wikipedia

A lot of times we get caught up in the daily minutia.

And days like today I’m reminded that there are more important things than tweaking this or fixing that. Today is Earth Day, and it is an opportunity for all of us to reflect and recognize our responsibility to our planet and to each other. Whatever your stance may be on global warming or issues that affect our environment, there’s one thing certain: We have ONE planet. And if estimates are accurate, there isn’t another habitable planet nearby that we can jump to if something happens to this one.

We have been trying to be responsible:

1. We have stopped using paper products, both at the house and at the studio. Paper, styrofoam, plastic… they all take years (and longer) to breakdown in the landfills. We use stoneware and ceramic plates and mugs, real flatware, and wash them for reuse the next day.

2. We recycle our plastic containers by refilling our bottled beverages with water and one of those single-serving drink mixes. At the end of the day, the bottle goes into the recycle bin. We recycle all of our glass, plastic and metals from the studio and from home.

3. We recycle items we don’t need anymore. We have recycled furniture, clothing, and much more through online groups like Precycle and Freecycle. We donate used clothing to Goodwill (which is also a tax write-off!). We even reuse items we cannot use elsewhere.

4. This year, we introduced the no-paper Senior Catalog. Last year, we sent out nearly 2,000 paper catalogs, using some 10,000 sheets of 11×17″ paper, as well as 2,000 9×12″ envelopes. This year, we designed the catalog for use online. And to add more incentive for people to download their own catalog and view it online or on their own computer, we offered a $50 coupon so that they didn’t have to print it out or have us print it.

5. We are reducing our paperwork in the studio by using fronts AND backs of paper to use all surfaces. The objective here is to stop wasting the back of the page. Now, law requires us to maintain paperwork for all transactions, so there’s little we can do to eliminate the use of paper. But at least we can utilize the paper we have a little more efficiently. We have even taken to emailing invoices and receipts to client’s email addresses in an effort to reduce that paper usage.

6. Finally, we are eating smarter. We buy very few pre-packaged foods… the packages that get thrown out and fill up the landfills. We buy fresh meats, fresh veggies and throw in our own spices and sauces. Each day for lunch we have a salad with chicken and fruit. Our dinners, many of which have been prepared in advance, are stored in reusable containers that we open up, empty and wash.

We need to take care of Earth. She’s going to be here long after we are gone. But it would be nice to leave it clean for the next person… ya know?

Here are some links we can all use: