Earth Day 2013

Earth day. Long story short: I'm missing it.

Long story long:
I'm going on vacation tomorrow. Earth day is Monday. Although I'm an advocate that every day should be earth day, I also believe that having a specific day every year is a good reminder. It causes some people to think about the planet for a day and other people to push their limits on what they can do. This year, I will be away from home.

Pitch-in happens every year during earth week. This is when garbage bags are distributed to different groups and everyone is asked to take a different section of town to pick up all the trash that accumulated over winter.

To be honest, this isn't my favourite Earth Day activity. I feel that we are picking up trash we can see and moving it somewhere that we don't see it. It's not really making things any better. The trash is still there, just outta sight outta mind. Maybe if we didn't pick it up and had to look at it all the time, we would make a greater effort not to make so much in the first place.

Regardless, it is very much a societal symbol of environmentalism. No one from HOPE Society will be taking part as most of us are away. (Actually one member will be but she will be representing the library, not HOPE.)

No, I have no specific plans for Earth Day. I will most likely be spending a good deal of the day driving. Driving my 1988 Toyota Corolla. Which is sort of ironic. At least it's fairly fuel efficient.

HOPE has however prepared something for the day. The week actually! I personally went all over town taking pictures of products from local businesses that are earth-friendly, of environmentally friendly practices at organizations, of the town's solar panels and electric car charging station. We took those pictures and made a display that will be available for viewing all next week.

All week while I'm away... I will try to do something extra special for Earth Day on Monday. I just don't know what, yet.