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Tired of celebrating Earth Day? You're not alone. While many excited eco-newbies are participating in Earth Day on April 22, many not-so-new hardcore environmentalists may be feeling rather jaded. After all, Earth has not been "saved" in these last 40 years since the first Earth Day. We still burn lots of fossil fuels, create massive amounts of plastic waste, and continue to pollute our air and water. What's the point of celebrating Earth Day yet another year?
In fact, The Farmer's Wife at Simply Sustainable says she doesn't even acknowledge Earth Day any more. "Back in the 70s, I was a little hippie chickie with granny glasses and flowers in my hair and I cared about EVERYTHING!" she writes. Now, the Farmer's Wife's more jaded -- especially after hearing about a local Earth Day festival at a water/amusement park -- an event that'll encourage people to drive, consume, and pollute. "I guess, as with every other holiday we have in this country, somebody has found a way to make money from Earth Day, so the true meaning has pretty much flown out the window for most Americans."
Not every old timer's so jaded about Earth Day, however. And even the Farmer's Wife isn't advocating an end to Earth Day; she simply wants a better reflection of the original intent of Earth Day in today's celebrations. The great thing about environmentalists is their endless optimism -- or at least a willingness to keep trying. And serious eco-bloggers are still keeping Earth Day and every green day meaningful for them, with inspiring posts about how environmentalists are taking green living and activism to a higher level.
Take Leslie Richard at The Oko Box blog, for example. This Earth Month, she's done everything from make Rabbit Poo & Earth Clay Pottery to instruct her readers on how exactly to set up and use a composting toilet -- with some very specific "don't do as I did" tips! Leslie's adventurous eco-posts aren't specifically written for Earth Month. She's an environmentalist who really does make Earth Day everyday, who's been making rural green living sound fun and adventurous before "ruralpolitans" got profiled in Wall Street Journal (via Ecosalon).
Other eco-bloggers are challenging themselves to go greener right where they are. Erin Peters at The Conscious Shopper sets an extreme green challenge for herself -- and her readers -- every month. This Earth Month, Erin's going "No 'Poo" -- or shampoo-free. The idea's to save money, reduce packaging, and avoid chemicals -- all while living more naturally by opting to wash up with baking soda and cider. These challenges aren't simply about sacrificing comfort for the environment's sake. Erin's monthly challenges basically push her try out hardcore challenges -- then decide after that trial period whether the change is something she wants to adopt permanently. You can sign up to take the challenge yourself, and share your thoughts about the No 'Poo experiment on the Go Green Without Going Broke Facebook group page.
Both Leslie and Erin are basically making Earth Day everyday -- a tactic that's perhaps at the heart of making Earth Day or Earth Month meaningful. Blogher's own contributing editor Beth Terry certainly reflects this eco-spirit. On her blog Fake Plastic Fish, Beth documents her efforts to reduce plastic packaging every day -- and has been posting her plastic tallies for years now!
How about you? What will you do to make this Earth Day meaningful this year -- and how will you make Earth Day every day for the rest of 2010?
Photo by CARCA MAN
