22 April 2008

Earth Day Shmearth Day

I can't help feeling about Earth Day the way I feel about Valentine's Day -- nothing. If you really love someone you should find ways to express that on a regular basis, not just one day in February when people get irrational over chocolates and teddy bears. If you care about the earth, doing something on one day isn't going to make a difference. You have to make many small changes over a long period of time. (And don't say it's about awareness--being aware for one day and forgetting the next doesn't do any good. After the Lights Out For an Hour night, who has continued to reduce their electricity usage on a daily basis?)

So today hasn't been any different from my regular routine. I walked to a nearby grocery store with my shopping bags. I took the stairs 3 out of 4 times instead of the elevator. I dropped some bottles in the recycling bin.

I'm not saying I'm a great green person. I think I'm pretty low on the green scale, actually. I don't wash and reuse every single bit of plastic or glass. I occasionally forget to turn off lights and unplug chargers.

I wonder what recycling will be like in Burundi? If Americans weren't so frivolous and consumer driven, would we even need an Earth Day?

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