Dear PeaceKeepers:
From all of us here at PK, Happy 40th Earth Day! Today, April 22, 500 million people are celebrating the beauty and power of Mother Earth. We hope that you will join us in celebrating this eco-friendly holiday!
Earth Day was founded in 1962 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, who decided to organize a grassroots movement to save the environment. The movement spread quickly; in less than half a century, it is now celebrated in 175 countries, almost the entire world!
Every country celebrates Earth day in its own unique and wonderful way. In Thailand, monks in the Dhammakaya movement promote world peace through meditation, inviting people from all corners of the world to come to the Dhammakaya temple and meditate together. Spain holds the two-day Fira de la Tierra (Fair for the Earth), which includes music, dancing, a ‘visual arts concert’, and a public forum on sustainable energy. Here in New York City, Grand Central Station celebrates Earth Day for the entire week, with art from Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, live music, and organic (!) food.
It’s easy to celebrate Earth Day locally, even if there isn’t a big celebration going on where you live! Here are some of PeaceKeeper’s suggestions for living eco-friendly:
-REDUCE! Commute to work or school by walking, biking, or public transit. Not only does this cut back on air pollution (from car exhaust), but it’s also a great way to stay in shape!
-REUSE! Bring your own mug to Starbucks and your own bags to the supermarket. Tons of paper and plastic are wasted every year on disposable cups and bags. Also use stainless steel water bottles instead of buying Evian or Poland Spring. Not only are those plastic bottles wasteful, they also contain harmful chemicals that can infect the water you drink!
-Recycle! Who could forget? Visit www.recyclenow.com to find out how you can start recycling locally, what items you can and can’t recycle, and what all those funny triangles on the underside of your recycleables mean.
-Eat less meat. You don’t have to go all-vegetarian, but try to eat at least one meat-free meal a week. This cuts back on carbon emissions, which cuts back on global warming!
-Cut back on processed foods in general. Like with plastic water bottles, these contain chemicals that are often the last things you want in your body.
There are so many ways to stay green we can’t list them all here, so we want to hear from YOU! How are you celebrating Earth Day? How do you live eco-friendly? Comment on this blog or drop us a line at info@iamapeacekeeper.com!
