Contents of RauwLetter April 2010
- Happy Earth Month!
- Great, Simple Tips to Live a Greener Lifestyle
- iPhone Has an Environmental App for That
- Looking Back - A Snapshot of Significant Environmental Events
- Energy Star Partner of the Year
- Is Your Boiler Making Your Summer Heat Up?
- Subscribe
Happy Earth Month!
April 22nd is officially Earth Day and this year marks the 40th anniversary of this day of awareness. Whether you believe in global climate change or not, Earth Day is a great day to show your respect and gratitude for this wonderful planet we live on. It’s also the perfect day to begin to reduce our own individual impacts.
Just like people who like to start a food diet on a specific significant day such as a Monday or Labor Day or Memorial Day, why not start your carbon diet on Earth Day. There are so many simple, inexpensive ways to make a major impact on helping our earth be a healthy planet.
For instance, carpooling is not only good for the planet because it results in fewer cars on the road emitting less toxins, it’s good for the emotional self because fewer cars result in fewer traffic jams. It’s also good for the social and professional life. What golf courses were to business relationships in the 1980s and 1990s, carpooling can be to those same relationships in the 21st century. Carpooling is a wonderful way to spend quality time making deals and fostering professional and social relationships.
Composting is another way to make a significant impact. Toronto, Canada makes this a no-brainer by offering weekly compost pick up through their “Green Bin” program. In Toronto, composting is as much a way of life as recycling and has reduced regular garbage retrieval to once every two weeks after weekly pickups became unnecessary. Composting has significantly reduced the stress on already bulging landfills and it provides nutrient-rich soil to communities and farmers. With Toronto’s goal of diverting 70% of trash away from landfills, the “Green Bin” program has made a significant contribution to reducing Toronto’s environmental impact with little extra work on the part of individuals.
There are so many simple, creative ways to make a difference in one’s community. The challenge is to make simple changes a way of life and then watch how the wave of cumulative small steps can positively impact everyone’s lives.
