Earth Day

I think it's wonderful that people celebrate the earth once a year, but the responsibility to keep our earth clean and safe is something we should always think about. Here are some ideas for saving energy. 1) Walk, ride a bike or take public transporation whenever you possibly can. 2) Use slow release fertilizer on your lawn because it is more eco friendly. 3) Request a home energy evaluation from your power authority. I did this for my home and they actually gave me a new refrigerator (that's right, they gave it to me) because my old one was using too much energy. I also got flourescent light bulbs from them for free because they use of less energy and last longer. 4) Buy energy star appliances. 5) Use a low flow shower head to use less water and do smaller loads of laundry to use less water. 6) Buy locally grown produce to help reduce trucking and to support local farmers so they can keep growin fresh fruit and vegetables. 7) Recyle as much as possible. 8) Don't use styrofoam products. 9) Plant a tree in your yard.

In the Philippines, we started celebrating earth day a week before. I am part of an advocacy group promoting bikes as an alternative means of transportation and on April 15, 2007 we had our annual Tour of the Fireflies wherein an estimated 5,000 bikers participated. Please see our website, www.fireflybrigade.org and my blog, www.ruralpinoybiker.wordpress.com for details and pictures about this. Last Sunday morning, April 22, I participated in another bike related earth day event. We biked around 15 kilometers around a small portion of the city and when we finished, an ecumenical service was held, wherein ministers of various religious organizations led the prayers. There was a Buddhist monk, a Catholic priest, and other representatives who I fail to recall now. I know that in other venues, they screened Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" to show and encourage people how we can help save planet earth.