My Earth Day Promise to Mother Earth

I am a loud and proud tree hugger. It gives me no shame to subscribe religiously to The Three Rs, eat organic, and make a concentrated to effort to sustain the earth in many other ways. Even though everyday is Earth Day for me, I like to keep my goals and ideas fresh. I've made three new goals this year, and in honor of Earth day, I'm going to commit myself and fulfill them.

1) Organic Gardening

I dream daily of having my own organic garden, abundant with seasonal fruits and vegetables. In addition, I will continue to support my local farmers' markets. Food fresh from the earth is not only great for our bodies, but great for our planet. When growing it yourself and buying locally, it eliminates the need for our food to travel, maintains good soil quality, and reduces water pollution. Local Harvest has been a great resource in locating local food. The Rodale Institute, which is the leading institution in organic research, shows many benefits to the earth as a direct result of organic agriculture.

2) Volunteering At Least Once a Month

There is truth in numbers, so I am committing my self to becoming a member of all the local parks and conservancies. Through these memberships, I can be aware of clean up projects, awareness campaigns, and opportunities to do things such as tree planting. After one Google search, I immediately found family friendly volunteer opportunities that fulfilled my needs. Not only can I make a sustainable difference in my community, but also build community. VounteerMatch has been a great resource in helping me find volunteer opportunities.

3) Biking More Places

Where I live, there are bike lanes and trails popping up throughout the city. I really have no excuse not to bike, other than a slight fear of safety for my daughter. The benefits far outweigh any minuscule risk. I have been so worried I did a little research and discovered this sobering statistic. In 2008, there were 34,261 fatalities due to motor vehicle accidents; 716 of those were bicycle deaths. For a much more detailed report on motor vehicle crash statistics, click here. Not only will this promise reduce my carbon footprint, it will keep me healthy.

These promises will be kept! This is our only home, and keeping it clean and healthy is vital to sustaining every living thing. I hope my list inspires you, happy Earth Day!