Earth Day 2008

Earth Day 2008, here in northern Illinois, began with rain and a dead modem.  We are now reconnected to the outside world and the sun is shining.  Patience in all things.

I've always had a strong sense of responsibility for the planet.  I don't think it was any real parental influence, but  just the amount of time I spent out of doors.  As the youngest child of older parents friends my age were often hard to come by.  Every summer we spent in the Wisconsin woods where I literally ran wild with the forest animals and swam with the lake creatures.  Loons and chipmunks were my best buddies.  To this day every time I see a builder take down a grove of trees because they were inconveniently placed it breaks my heart. 

Those of you that have been reading for any length of time know that AH and I live a fairly green lifestyle.  No paper plates, cups or napkins.  Limited use of paper towels and there is one box of Kleenex in the guest bathroom (I use hankies.)  We try to make good ecological choices in most areas of our lives, but there are a few that are somewhat beyond our control.  For example, AH has a huge commute (almost 2 hours each way) to work.  Compared to the commute he used to make from LA every couple of weeks, we consider it a fair compromise, but it still uses a horrible amount of gas.  Any kind of mass transit is not available, though is he able to work from home at least 2 days a week.  Another area where we (I) have been in need of improvement is bottled water.  The statistics for plastic water bottles are outrageous.  8 out of every 10 bottles of water are NOT recycled.  Over 39 billion (yes, billion) beverage containers have been littered, landfilled, or incinerated this year.  It's only April!  So, in honor of Earth Day 2008 I bought us a Britta pitcher.  Our tap water is highly chlorinated and tastes pretty awful.  I've got my fingers crossed that the pitcher will help with that.  I already had the SIGG bottle so it's time to put it to work.  It's a small thing, but each little effort makes a difference.  I'm committed to make my footprint on our glorious plant as small as possible.  Won't you consider doing the same?

Comments

[Debi]

I've had a Brita for years and I love it! It's all the P-Man and I drink :)

If you love your little pitcher, look into the large dispenser - it's what I use...here:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13040575

Also, Costco has the best prices on the filters!

[Carie]

FYI, I love my Brita pitcher. I gave my first one to my brother when we installed Reverse Osmosis in the old house, and now have gotten a new pitcher for the new house (no RO, darn).

[PainterWoman]

Attagirl.