Earth Day

Gaylord Nelson, the Founder of Earth Day, frequently spoke about making sacrifices today to benefit the generations to come. There are so many little things we can do, and when added up, they can have a huge impact on our world.

- Wash your clothes at 85° or colder. You'll be using 40% less energy! Your detergent will work just as well on the cooler temperature and your clothes will have a longer lifespan.

- Change over to energy efficient light bulbs. Using CFLs (Compact Florescent Lights) can cut your energy usage by 75%. They may seem a bit pricey, but they last 10 times longer than other light bulbs. This also means fewer light bulbs in the landfill!

- Think about Food Miles. The average plate of foods comes to our table from 1200 miles away. That is a lot of packaging, gasoline, CO2 emissions, etc. Think locally when buying your produce and meat. Buy a share in a vegetable of meat co-op. Most grocery stores now have "local" markets within their larger stores. These items usually come from within 100 mile radius.

Thinking about food (which I often do) reminded me of the story I did on the Texas Longhorn Basketball team. We were having fun deciding which college mascots could beat which other mascots. In researching the Texas Longhorn I learned they are extremely hardy, surviving difficult conditions and thriving on little forage. They also produce a leaner, healthier meat and they are locally "grown."

Thanks to Clinton & Charles Robertson and Flickr for the Photo.