My 5,284 steps to help the Earth

Did you know that the first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970 as a nationwide demonstration, petitioning the government to put environmental issues on the political agenda? Thousands of schools and close to 20 million demonstrators participated in the original Earth Day. Earth Day was such a success that it is now celebrated annually.

As with all social movements throughout history, awareness leads to action, and action leads to change. And those changes have a real effect. There was a time when there was no such thing as unleaded gas or recycling bins, and nobody gave you grief for leaving the lights on and the water running. Now, thankfully, those concerns are part of our daily lives and the planet is happier for it. That's what Earth Day is about.

I decided to do my part by collecting trash that I encountered on my morning walk. I left my iPod shuffle at home and grabbed a pair of plastic gloves and a trash bag instead. I did bring my pedometer with me so I can tell you I took 5,284 steps today to help the planet. :) In my 2 mile walk I collected an entire bag of garbage. The contents of my bag included receipts, plastic cups, golf tees, styrofoam, pop cans, candy wrappers, a child's pink sock, and cigarette butts. I picked up more beer cans than anything else. I found the majority of them along the golf course, which is disappointing as there are many trash receptacles on the course. 

I would have gone further and collected more garbage in my surrounding community, but a snow storm started to move in quickly. With my bag blowing wildly in the wind, I carefully made my way to the garbage compacter and recycling bins to sort through the items and dispose of them appropriately. 

I made a concentrated effort today to collect as much garbage as I could for Earth Day, but I honestly do try and pick up litter any time I am out walking or hiking. I try to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible and I love shopping with reusable grocery bags. There are so many little things we can do everyday to help the planet. So today, I urge you to take a moment to look at your own habits and actions, and consider what small changes you can make that will contribute to the larger effort. Every little bit helps!

Remember everyday is Earth Day!