On the Environment: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Post #49

Today is Earth Day, a day dedicated to reflecting on the effect of human activity on our planet.  Thanks to former Vice President Al Gore’s leadership and the accumulating data that shows the increased reality of global warming, more people than ever are focused on protecting our environment. 

Unfortunately, Americans still tend to value convenience and consumption over conservation or sacrifice.  It’s only when gas prices soared that we saw measurable changes in car-buying behavior, mass-transit use, and carpooling.  The most persistent questions about Rockville’s Town Center have been about parking.  Where is it?  How expensive is it?  When is it free?  What if we’re just using the library? 

Especially on Earth Day, we should be asking far more significant questions about what we can do to help save our environment.   At the 1^st ever Earth Day celebration in Rockville tonight, the young performers reminded us that it’s not just about “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” but about educating others!   As a candidate for office, I’m painfully aware that political leaders usually profess their support for the environment in a loud voice, but too often neither their votes nor their actions match their words.

Did you know that our homes are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions?  That’s why last year, my husband and I researched the possibility of shifting to  100 percent  wind power, and wound up choosing  a Rockville-based company called “Clean Currents.”   Not only is it a green alternative to traditional sources of energy, but with tax breaks and other incentives, it’s even a little cheaper.  (You can learn more and sign up to switch by visiting www.CleanCurrents.com.)

When we renovated our kitchen, in addition to making obvious choices like Energy Star appliances, we decided to reflect our personal environmental beliefs in more inventive ways.  This meant instead of granite or Corian, our countertops are made with recycled glass.  They are beautiful, unique, and a small step towards supporting a more sustainable world.  Our floors are made of bamboo, which regenerates quickly, rather than a wood product whose harvesting contributes to the shrinking of the rain forest. We installed more environmentally-friendly lighting, too, including under our cabinets, where LEDs are not only more energy-efficient, but brighter as well.

Our composting takes very little time or effort and creates rich fertilizer that develops from our discarded banana peels and orange rinds.  Not only that, it reduces the amount of waste ending up in our landfills.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  What have you done personally to help protect our planet?  Are there tips you can pass along to others? Please send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#49) you're addressing.

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.