Celebrate Earth Day

Today’s post is a guest post from Debra Duneier, LEED AP. 

 If you have not celebrated earth day in the past, this April 22^nd would be a great time to start. You may feel a little awkward at first because you just may not know what to do. Do you invite people over for a party? Does one put candles on a cake? What kind of toast would be appropriate? Can you send a card? Is buying flowers or chocolates the right touch?

The first Earth Day was in 1970 and since then it has grown to a worldwide environmental event. On this day, we celebrate our planet and its gifts of biodiversity.  It is the time of year to reinstate our commitment to protect plants, animals, soil, seas and fresh drinking water. It is also the birthday of the US Environmental Protection Agency which was created to protect our air, water and land from pollution. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day to bring environmental concerns to the attention of the national agenda. If you ever question what one person can accomplish remember that one by one, 20 million protestors around the country came out in support of Earth Day and a cleaner and safer environment…they were heard.

Pitch in and make a big difference by making small changes in your daily life. Here are some EcoChi Green Tips to get you started:

1.  Reduce your “product carbon footprint” by purchasing locally grown produce whenever possible.
2. Bring reusable shopping bags with you to the supermarket, rather than having your groceries packed in plastic bags (plastics take 500 years to decompose).
3. Keep landfills at reasonable levels by recycling your garbage as much as possible. Paper, plastics, metals and even electronic equipment can be conveniently recycled in most towns.
4. Set your thermostat 2 degrees higher in the summer and 2 degrees lower in the winter to cut back on energy use.
5. Do not run the water while you brush your teeth. Turn the faucet on only when needed. Help save our most precious resource, fresh drinking water.

 

If you decide to throw a party on April 22^nd:

• Send electronic invites
• Use bees wax candles on the cake instead of candles made with petro fuels
• Recycle your wine bottles
• Send an E-card or one made of recycled paper
• Do decorate with fresh flowers and serve chocolate which always tastes great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still unsure what to do on April 22^nd? Get over any awkwardness that accompanies a new experience and instead create traditions for the future. After all, cleaning up our planet means we may be able to leave our Earth a better place for future generations and that’s worth celebrating!

  Debra Duneier is the Founder and President of EcoChi, LLC, a Feng Shui Master Practitioner, an accredited LEED^®Green Associate and Certified Eco-Designer. Debra is the creator of the EcoChi^®system of design and the author of EcoChi: Designing the Human Experience, released September, 17th 2011. Her training, background and perspective have made her a resource on topics including: Feng Shui, Green Design and Sustainability and Wellness, for media outlets including Martha Stewart Radio, Brokers Weekly, Social Life Magazine, Barons.com, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, Sierra Club, The Huffington Post and the Associated Press. In addition to her EcoChi consulting business, Debra is a keynote speaker and also runs workshops and seminars for a variety of corporations and trade organizations. Author of EcoChi: Designing the Human Experience. www.ecochi.com

She finds grounding in nature, friends and family in her North Fork, Long Island home in New York.