Pittsburgh, PA

Earth Day is designated as a day and sometimes even an ongoing month, as a time when you think about your impact on the environment and what you can do to preserve the world for generations to come. If everyone did something more environmentally conscious just one day a year, there is the hope that people will continue their good deeds throughout the rest of the year and if not, at least they contributed on that one day.

There are many events going on around the city of Pittsburgh to celebrate this environmentally-friendly day, but I’m not going to list them, since they can be easily researched. Instead, I’d like to remind people what they can do to celebrate this day and to make a lasting impact on their lives.

First off, I think that most people choose not to be consciously aware of what they’re doing to the environment, because it’s inconvenient to think of or they just have too many other things on their mind. So instead of listing big changes, I’d like to suggest a couple of little things you can do that can really make a big impact on the environment. And really, if you care at all about your living conditions, at one point in your life you may consciously think about the world around you and the destruction that is occurring to it everyday that will negatively affect your life, if not today some day in the future.

I’m not even going to get into global warming, because really, people should care about taking care of their environment regardless of being threatened by hot weather and melting ice caps.

1. Stop buying water in plastic bottles and instead bottle water from your house to carry with you. Local water is under much higher scrutiny than bottled water, but just in case you’re leery of your tap water you can always install a filter of some sort.

2. Take the bus, car pool, walk or ride the bus to work, school, whatever if at all possible. The bus actually costs me the same amount of money, if not more than I’d spend on gas money for my car, yet money is not what concerns me; it’s all the pollution and traffic congestion that driving during rush hour produces. I’ve even started walking the two miles home from work, which is way healthier for me and the environment.

3. If you’re in the market for a new car and can afford a hybrid, I would highly suggest buying one. Sales on hybrids are up 40% just this year due to people getting fed up by high gas prices. Don’t become a victim of a struggling system and outrageous oil profits; think about alternatives to gas before you have no other choice but to use a huge chunk of your paycheck just to commute to work in your car.

4. Appreciate and enjoy nature like you did when you were a kid. Grow a plant, take a hike in the woods, walk along the river…do anything to immerse yourself in your real environment, not just the walls you build up around it in the shape of buildings and highways.

5. And lastly, use the backs of discarded paper. I have found this is the easiest way to save money on writing and printing paper, as well as helping to lessen the huge amount of paper that goes to waste. Encourage paper recycling at work as well!

You don’t have to listen to these tips and you can live in ignorance if you so choose, but today is about being aware of environmental issues, not ignoring them, so in all earnestness, please have a nice, environmentally conscious day!

Check out my previous post on Rachel Carson to read more about this local environmentalist, who is always recognized for her achievements around this time of year.

Pittsburgh, Earth Day