2008 Great Miami River Days
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Happy Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day!
Today is the 38th annual celebration of the planet we call home, and a day to step back and think about things we can do to preserve and restore our natural resources…
So that’s the official line on Earth Day, but I want to know: what do YOU think about Earth Day?
Is it a time to reflect on accomplishments?
A time to call for more action?
Or something in-between?
Send a post, let us know, then go outside and do something good for the planet.
Home > Blogs > Living Green > Archives > 2008 > July > 04 > Entry
Independence Day thoughts
Fairfield Echo/Liberty Twp. Pulse-Journal reporter Eric Schwartzberg got me thinking about today’s topic with a comment he made in the newsroom two days ago.
What would 7/4/08 be like if, rather than referring to it simply as “Fourth of July,” we went back to calling the holiday “Independence Day” and observed it as such?
It’s a good thought-provoker, the more you think about it, and I say it has everything to do with what we try to achieve through environmentally sound and sustainable living practices.
Today, for some people it seems, is about the great American holiday traditions: eating and drinking to excess, buying a bunch of unneeded crap and probably spending at least part of the day watching some kind of sport on TV. Since it’s a summer holiday, one could add the tradition of blowing up fireworks and the occasional garage to the list.
I’m sure the founding fathers would be proud.
What if we tried to live up to the “Independence” half of the holiday’s name? There are plenty of places where we’re overly dependent, after all: on pollutant-heavy fossil fuels, on genetically engineered food imported from far away, on a centralized generation source for the electricity we often take for granted.
Rather than blowing money, wasting food and generally consuming far too much resources for one day, why not use to day to become a little more independent? Resolve to drive less. Find a local source for your food, and try setting your menu to the season’s produce. Do some research to find out if geothermal, solar or wind power could be installed at your home.
All of these steps (and the many more you can undoubtedly think up on your own) can serve two purposes. They’re good for the environment, but they also speak to that traditional American value, that independence woven into our national myth and all too often overlooked for the sake of convenience.
A thinking holiday - in this complex world we’ve created for ourselves, what could be more American than that?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: General green living
Comments
By Riverdale Ghost
July 5, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this
Many places and things do say Independence Day. I have two calendars at hand, one from the bank and one from the Avon Lady. They both say Independence Day. Headline writers don’t use it for space reasons. Chat with your editor.By d
July 13, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this
What does independence day have to do with going green? It is a day to remember that we are a free country, and to celebrate our independence. Leave the go green, feel good,and al gore money making liberal dogma for another day.