Earth Day

According to Wikipedia, Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in in 1970, it now includes events in more than 193 countries.

You don't have to be "a tree hugger” or a kook to help save our world. Little everyday changes can make a big difference. Here are a few suggestions that are easy to follow if you want to have clean air and clean water.

Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater eventually ends up in the ocean. Simply turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth and then turning it back on when it's time to rinse will save gallons of water over time...especially if everyone does it. Also only run your washing or dishwasher machine when it's full. Partial loads waste water.

Shop wisely. Buy less plastic and use reusable shopping bags at the grocery store. Buy reusable water bottles to take to the gym or on road trips.

Use long-lasting light bulbs. Energy efficient light bulbs reduce the greenhouse emissions and, in the end, saves money.

Keep your thermostat at a constant temperature during the day. Adjusting and readjusting the temperature every few hours wastes electricity.

Flip off light switches when you leave the room. When you go out for the evening, leave on a single lamp or two, but not all the overhead lights.

Choose non-toxic household cleaning products. Don't send chemicals into our waterways.

Recycle and reuse. Try not to be wasteful. Cut down on what you throw away.

When Darcy and Danielle (From Despicable Lies and Second Chances) lived in New York city, they often took young Freddy to play in the park. There, they purposefully taught him to appreciate nature's beauty and to pick up litter in order to keep the park clean for others to enjoy.

Lara and Brad and Cynthia and Larry (From Trapped) lived in Fort Lauderdale on the beautiful sandy beach and often took the Bennett twins, Max and Mark, to play in the sand and jump the waves. They taught the little boys to carry all their trash and water toys home and not to litter the beach. And they even made the boys clean up after their puppy, Stormy.

As a child, I was taught not to throw anything on the ground or the street, and especially nothing out of our family's car windows. My parents carried a mess bag for trash and kept it on the back seat of our station wagon. We emptied it after every road trip.

It's never too soon to start to take care of our beautiful country and the world. Imagine what our National Parks would be like if we allowed beer cans and disposable diapers to be strewn all over the grounds. The staffs at Disney, for instance, keep their properties pristine so everyone can enjoy the sights. If you visit their theme parks you will always see someone with a broom or a mop, cleaning up. If Covid -19 taught us one thing, it was and is, the necessity of washing our hands and disinfecting surfaces in our homes and cars, like countertops, door handles, etc. In a way, that's like a 360-day homage to earth day.

John Wesley, in a sermon in 1778, said that cleanliness is next to godliness. If that's so, wouldn't God be pleased that we are taking care of the planet and resources he gave us? Shouldn't we feel obligated to do so? And, if you don't believe in any God or a higher power, doesn't it make sense to at least try to preserve and take care of what we have. Once it's gone, it's gone forever.

Happy Earth Day.

Until my next inspiration...ciao

Earth Day Cleanup Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash