Enrol Earth Day 365

Prerequisite: Human Being

Up, down, slight tilt to the port and then a roll to the starboard with an aroma of “fish”, this is how I spent Earth Day 2009 working as an observer onboard a fishing vessel to promote sustainable fishing practices. Earth day is unique in that it is a global celebration that transcends national borders and promotes unity of the world’s population to respect the planet that we all call home. As human beings, we are as every bit dependent as other species for nature to supply us with clean air, water, soil and energy. Therefore, it is our responsibility to treat our home with reverence, so that it continues to supply us with all that we need.

The celebration of earth day is just the first step in respecting our planet’s resources. Therefore, it is more important for us to implement earth day 365 days for the rest of our lives and teach this to the next generation. The unique thing I learnt on my last observer rotation is that you don’t have to believe in climate change to believe that we as a species are wasteful and should be doing something to be less wasteful, i.e. turn off the lights. Simple changes to be less wasteful in your own personal life will result in a “healthier” environment. Therefore, turn off the lights when you leave a room, utilize cloth bags for purchases, clean with nature friendly products, and practice the three R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle). If everyone enrols in Earth Day 365, it will help to ensure that nature will be able to keep supplying us and other wildlife (i.e. whales) with clean air, water, soil and energy.

Supplemental Readings for Earth Day 365:
A guide book to green living (i.e. How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: 365 Simple Ways to Save Energy, Resources and Money by Joanna Yarrow or The Green Guide by David Suzuki) – http://www.amazon.ca/
Earth Day Network – http://www.earthday.net/
The David Suzuki Foundation – http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
Method: Home Care and Personal Products – http://www.methodhome.com/