I personally feel the earth should be celebrated every day, and we should treat her with the respect we give our family, friends, neighbors, etc. I do feel “we” are starting to become more aware, but I am still baffled by the choices people are making these days…or should I say lack of choices. I do believe we are the ones causing Mother Earth to suffer, however I also feel it has been out of ignorance rather than laziness. My sister recently gave me Ismael to read, and it was life changing. It opened my eyes to the fact that humans can keep thinking they are the center of the universe, but that is exactly what is causing all the problems. It’s funny because now that I realize this, I can’t even look at a little spider the same. Rather than thinking, “that spider is invading my space”, I think I hope my “shit” isn’t getting in the way of his home. I am sure this sounds ridiculous to some of you, but it is amazing at how one book can change your perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I am still using electronics all day long, I have yet to start composting ( something I have wanted to do forever ), and we still buy paper towels because sometimes you Just Need Them. I am by no means perfect with the way I treat Mother Earth. I am conscious of it though. I am making daily efforts to improve our relationship 🙂 I have listed some ways below that Jer and I have been able to do our part for this beautiful place we call home. If you have any ideas on other things we could do, please leave a comment and share them with the rest of us!!! Every little bit helps!
1. Recycle anything and everything possible
2. Reuse Reuse Reuse!!! Jer and I try and reuse as much as we can. Our new favorite is mason jars. We use them as drinking glasses and for storage 🙂 We also use Pyrex instead of Tupperware because it’s better for us and the environment.
3. We share a car and I walk/ride my bike as much as possible.
4. I work from home and Jer’s commute is only a couple miles, so that saves on gas!
5. We shop at the local farmers market for several reasons. One, it is always good to support your local farmers! two, why waste fuel shipping food across the globe, when you can eat the tomatoes grown in your own back yard? three, they are usually organic and pesticide free, which is Way better for you and the environment!!!!
6. We only eat meat that is free range, natural and organic!!!! This is a biggy!
7. I have stopped giving out folders to potential clients with pricing, etc. Instead we view it on the laptop during meetings and I give them one piece of paper to take notes on.
8. All of my business cards and mailers have been printed on recycled paper.
9. We use skoy as much as possible instead of paper towels!!!
10. I just recently switched to a paperless format so I will no longer have to print out contracts, etc.
11. We use refillable water bottles instead of buying plastic.
12. We use canvas grocery bags, rather than wasting paper or plastic ones.
13. Joined the Plan a Bulb project. Check it out here.
These are just a few ways we are cutting back on waste. I would love to hear your ideas! I know there are millions of ways to take better care of this beautiful planet, and this is just the beginning!
Let the sharing begin 🙂