Tomorrow is Earth Day–what are you doing to celebrate everything that is lovely about our planet? While we encourage daily green behaviors such as recycling, reusing and reducing, we wanted to share with you 4 fun and unique ways to celebrate the Earth this month:
Stay Dirty
Some interesting statistics from the EPA: A 10-minute shower consumes 50 gallons of water and that nice, relaxing bath takes up to 70 gallons of water. To put this in perspective, the typical family in Africa gets by on a tenth of that for an entire day. Today, stay dirty. Skipping the daily shower or bath will not only save gallons of water but may even make you feel healthier. “Showering every day can wash away natural oils that our skin and hair need to grow and can deprive the immune system of the germs it needs to fully develop,” writes HowStuffWorks.com.
Unplug
Turn off the TV, shut down your computer and stop charging your phone. Make a real effort to unplug yourself from electronics and spend the evening reconnecting with your family and friends. Or, pick up a great book—some fun, eco-friendly reads: The Lorax, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology.
Have an Earth Day Dinner
Use locally produced food for tonight’s dinner—heavy on the vegetables and fruit as they use fewer resources and provide minimal impact to the planet. If you are dining with meat lovers, look for locally produced, organic meat by looking online at sites such as LocalHarvest.org. Need some recipe ideas? Head over to FineCooking.com—they have several recipes that “save the planet.” Be sure to use eco-friendly dishes and decorations and consider dining by candlelight—eliminating the need for electricity.
Share Something
We love this idea from Inhabitat.com: “Recently, there’s been lots of excitement over a renewed interest in sharing time, money, and resources as a way to increase everyone’s access to things they need. Experts call this ‘collaborative consumption’ or ‘the Sharing Economy’ but we just call it common sense.” Checkout sharing services like yerdle, B-Cycle or Airnb. Not only will this save you money, but will help you become better connected with your community.
Talk to us: What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day this year?