ORIGIN COLUMNIST: TRAMMELL CROW
New Year’s Resolutions—our annual self-improvement tradition. The chance for us to make a change for the better. So why only in January? Why not now? I would argue that when we limit thoughtful reflection to once a year, we miss opportunities to prevent and/or improve our current situations.
To produce each week’s Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut down.
When I look around today, I can’t think of anything more imminent and relevant to our livelihood than improving our environment. Think about it. Global warming. Energy crisis. Economic impact. The list goes on and on. Take a second to reflect on the current state of our environment and evaluate your role. Really think about how you affect (either positively or negatively) each of the following:
Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour, which is enough plastic to circle the earth 13 times in one year.
Energy conservation.
What can you do? Ditch the styro. Take your own coffee mug to work.
Water supply. Waste disposal. Air pollution. How’d you stack up? Regardless of how positive or negative your daily habits might be, as Americans, our carbon footprint is still double the per-capita average of most of the world—we all have room for improvement. The good news is that thousands of organizations nationwide are committed to making our planet a safe home for years to come. And by doing our part and making small life changes, we can achieve just that. Forty years ago, Earth Day was established to bring awareness to the importance of environmental protection. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Act, and much more. Today, Earth Day is recognized and celebrated by millions world-wide. Green groups like Earth Day Dallas (www.earthdaydallas.org) work relentlessly to provide engaging programming and educational resources for all ages year-round. So get involved. Get smart. Make a commitment right now—make a resolution to change one thing (just one) about your living patterns that will positively improve our Earth. Because, like any other resolution, changes we make today will have a lasting impact tomorrow. For more information about Earth Day events in your area visit earthday.org. For more information about Earth Day Dallas visit earthdaydallas.org or follow us on Twitter @EarthDayDallas.
What can you do? Buy an inexpensive reusable water bottle, and stop buying disposable plastic bottles. The U.S. produces enough Styrofoam cups annually to circle the earth 436 times.
The U.S. trashes enough office paper to build a 12-foot wall from Los Angeles to New York City. What can you do? Buy recycled paper products. Print on recyclable paper. And use both sides. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours, or the equivalent of a half-gallon of gasoline. What can you do? Get a recycling bin from the city—and use it. Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1 million sea creatures every year. What can you do? Reuse your plastic and paper bags. They make great trashcans and lunch carriers.
*These recycling facts have been compiled from various sources including the National Recycling Coalition, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Earth911. org. While I make every effort to provide accurate information, I make no warranty or guarantee that the facts presented here are exact. *Also from WebEcoist.com www.earthdaydallas.org
PHOTO: GITTINGS
Climate change.
What can you do? Repurpose your paper. Save it for arts and crafts, use it to clean your windows…
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