Earth Day is the day when millions of people in 172 countries all over the globe share their appreciation for our beautiful planet. What are you giving back to the earth this year?

You might believe that one person can’t do a lot. But if we take the time to change a few small behaviors, we can make a difference collectively.

Here are six ways to be part of that effort.

Precycle before you recycle.

Precycling is the art of returning a thing to the earth before it was even taken, saving our resources and creating a brighter future. What kinds of things can you precycle? How about bottled water or plastic grocery bags? You can drink water out of a reusable water bottle, and pack your groceries in a reusable cloth bag. You’ve just precycled, preventing two plastic items from ending up in the refuse stream. Less demand for these items leads to less production.

Flick a switch.

This is simple. Begin to make it a habit to turn off the lights whenever you are leaving a room. Turn off the water when brushing or even while soaping up in the shower, then turn it back on to rinse off. Turn off your car ignition when you’re waiting for someone. Every time you flick the switch, you are also flicking a switch in your brain that helps to reinforce the behavior and turn it into a good habit—the habit of conserving.

If it ain’t broke, don’t replace it.

Before upgrading to the newest iPhone or a bigger-model flat-screen TV, ask yourself if it will make your life better than if you simply kept the model you already have. Take a moment to really visualize all the earth’s resources it took to make these items. You could save some of earth’s resources by simply waiting six months or a year before replacing something old with something new. At the end of that time, assess whether the quality of your life was seriously compromised by hanging on to that older model. Continue reading →

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