Happy Earth Day! Today is Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. Have you noticed that the sky is now clearer during the day and darker at night?  That the air feels cleaner?  Also, the carbon footprint is less.  According to epa.gov, “A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.”  Clearly, fewer cars on the road is having a positive influence on our environment.  How can we keep down our driving when this is all over?  Can more people continue to work from home, at least part of the time?

While our schools are not necessarily providing a full curriculum right now, this is a great time for our children to delve into meaningful projects.  One potential theme is our earth. Finding ways to improve our environment, acting on them, and educating others is an investment in our children’s futures.  To get started, there are many high quality films available to educate ourselves about the earth:

Disney: “Elephant” and “Dolphin Reef”

  Here are just a few ways we can all affect climate change right now.

1. Drive less – we are off to a good start here!

2. Save energy at home – maybe keep the AC temperature a little higher.

3. Follow the 3 R’s – Refuse, re-use, recycle. (Cancel those catalogs.)

4. Reduce meat consumption. (Livestock are one of the biggest contaminators of the atmosphere.)

5. Avoid excessive packaging and processed foods.

6. Plant a tree, which absorbs Carbon dioxide.

As long as you keep six feet away from your neighbors, it is perfectly healthy to spend time outdoors and enjoy our beautiful planet.  Let’s all work together to keep it healthy and safe.