Earth Day is April 22, but really, every day is Earth Day. It is of course our home and we are all in this together. As moms we get busy (very busy) and other than throwing a jar in the recycle bin, I think we forget how much power we have to reshape our surroundings and ultimately our children’s future.
You probably already do a variety of things: take your chic reusable tote out shopping, turn off lights when you are not in a room, and recycle your plastic and tins.
We wanted to suggest, for this Earth Day, some additional ways to improve our environment and our health:
Conserving water should be a major priority with our population today. In his speech for One Young World last year, Jamie Oliver addresses the importance of water in our food industry. “Wars will be fought over water.”
The amount of waste and chemicals in the production of water bottles is absolutely staggering. It is a myth that bottled water is healthier, and there are so very many fun and easy options now for healthy filtered water.
- It is very simple to put a filter on your tap faucet.
- Buy a stainless steel water bottle; different colors for everyone in the family works well.
- You can buy a self-filtering water bottle; these filter the water with every pour.
Your reusable water bottles pay for themselves quickly from all the money you save by not buying disposable ones.
Eat Less Beef
One pound of beef requires approximately 2500 pounds of water to process, compared to 25 pounds of water for one pound of wheat. Also the waste and toxins from the meat feedlots are devastating to our environment; from our rivers and streams to our oceans. If you want to learn more, start here.
You don’t have to convert to being a vegetarian on Earth Day, but here are some things to remember when making up your menu every week:
- When buying meat; look for local, grass fed, and organic resources.
- Remember meat is not the main course; it should be a small part of the meal. Fill your plate with salad and veggies first.
- Seek out meatless recipes and ideas. We thought eating less meat would make for a boring and less fulfilling menu each week. This is absolutely not so. We have the most amazing, inexpensive meals and are always trying out new and exciting options. This has proven, for us, to be much healthier than eating the same meat filled menu every week.
What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day this year?