Why go green?

{Earth Day might be over for the year, but our responsibility to the planet is not!  Here's a post from 2009 that I wanted to revisit.  Happy week after Earth Day!}

Green is more than a color we wear and splash all over everything on St. Patrick's Day.  Green is a mindset, a philosophy, a way to live one's life.  "Going green" is something that I am passionate about, and has been as far back as I can remember.  Although what we call it may change, being "green" is not a fad, nor is it a new idea.  Here are some reasons why I "go green."

1. It's our responsibility.  From the beginning of time as we know it, our number one job as humans has been to be responsible for the earth we inhabit.
2. It's good for our health.  Do you ever really read the labels on what you buy?  Knowlege of the chemicals used in your favorite moisturizer, your floral scented fabric softener and even your strawberries would give you a fright.  Carcinogens and toxins are not just found in cigarettes.  They're found in the very products we use on our skin and in our food.  Reading labels and choosing products made without these harsh and unnecessary chemicals is good for your health.
3. Think of the animals.  Are you an animal lover?  Ever see photos of birds covered in oil, fuzzy creatures with plastic bottle rings around their necks, or polar bears desperately searching for food?   Endangered species lists are growing, and we can put a stop to it through the choices we make. 
4. Our children depend on us.  I want my kids and their kids to walk on white sandy beaches, hike through pristine forests, and marvel at the glaciers.  I want them to canoe through clear water, climb a tree in the backyard and explore in a field of wildflowers.  They deserve to know the beauty of the earth, so we need to protect our prairies, deserts, forests, and waters.
5. It's easier than you think.  Small changes add up to big results.

 

 "When you tug at a single thing in nature, you find it attached to the rest of the world."  — John Muir