Earth Day's Midlife Crisis: Resolutions That Don't Include Buying a Red Hybrid Convertible

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White

I remember one Earth Day when I was about 13, I organized a group of my friends to go out and clean up a swamp nature preserve near my parents' house. Sure, the praise from parents and teachers felt good, but doing something that wasn't on someone's list of sanctioned Earth Day events really appealed to the rebellious nature in us.

Well over a decade later, I've long ago transitioned from rebel to cynic.  For its part, Earth Day is nearly over the hill on its 39th birthday, facing a midlife identity crisis.

The environmental movement is also facing some of its first major challenges to the sacred institution that is Earth Day. The environmental e-zine Grist started a campaign titled "Screw Earth Day" to bring attention to the frivolity of devoting only one day a year to the planet and then patting ourselves on the back for it, proclaiming that "one day is for amateurs."

Granted, their campaign is little more than a lint trap for e-mail addresses and a conduit to get more exposure for their articles about Earth Day. But they do have a point.

Elizabeth Kolbert, environmental reporter for The New Yorker, this week bemoans Earth Day's transition from counter-culture protest movement to mainstream environmental holiday, saying "Earth Day has lost its edge."

However, with recent protests in this country sponsored by corporations, lobbyists, or politicians, public assembly itself seems to have lost its edge. Maybe Mother Earth would appreciate more grown-up action than what amounts to a collective temper tantrum?

Not that there isn't plenty to cry about. When you have idiots such as House Minority Leader John Boehner giggling about the danger of carbon emissions and Rep. John Shimkus saying only God gets to decide when and why the world gets destroyed, it's hard to be upbeat.

Carbon credits make saving the planet seem like an empty gesture. Miracle cures from years past such as ethanol turned out to be false idols, and now we're forced to question what the term "environmentally friendly" even means.

We finally have an environmentally aware president and a Democratic majority in Congress, yet policy change seems doomed to be incremental (while climate change is anything but). We're beginning to understand that it wasn't just the Bush Administration that stood in the way of real environmental reform.

The gears of reform may grind exceedingly slow to our collective peril. One scientific report after another regretfully informs us that global warming and other forms of environmental degradation are much more advanced than we thought. These are trying times.

However, I'm not convinced that trashing Earth Day is the solution to the April 22 blues. As a fan of widespread nonreligious celebration, I appreciate the fact that Earth Day is the largest secular civic event in the world, according to Earth Day Network. Furthermore, as a member of the media, it's clear to me that calendar hooks make the news cycle go 'round; you probably wouldn't be reading this article if it weren't the penultimate week in April.

Perhaps we could treat Earth Day a little more like other secular holidays, such as New Year's Day. Each year, we could make concrete Earth Day resolutions to change one thing about the way we use the planet. If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, here are a few:

Clean house -- You wouldn't believe the dangerous concoctions Americans use on a daily basis to get rid of mostly natural occurrences such as dirt, dust and mildew. Resolve to replace all your noxious cleaning products with environmental ones. Not only is there a whole host of environmentally friendly cleaning products out there (Seventh Generation is one of my favorites and it ranks high on environmental friendliness as well as social justice scales), but also there are a lot of traditional cleaning products you can make at home. The Environmental Protection Agency has recipes for everything from glass cleaner to rug deodorizer.

Plant a seed -- Grow your own food. This resolution is excellent for the newly jobless and others struggling in this tough economy. Soil and organic fertilizer may seem like a steep investment now, but the money you'll save on produce later on will make you glad you chose this particular resolution in a couple of months. Plus, there are a lot of do-it-yourself fertilizers for those inclined to try it (I was shocked to find out that three things that end up in my garbage on at least a weekly basis -- egg shells, cat hair, and coffee grounds -- are welcome additives for my tomato plants).

You can create a little garden no matter where you are. I live in a third-story, one-bedroom apartment with no outdoor area at all, yet I have tomatoes, basil, arugula, and chocolate mint growing on my windowsills. It's not at all too late to start this year's harvest, either. Your local nursery should have plants ready for your love and are generally great repositories of gardening knowledge for newbies.

(This resolution is also a great option for those with kids in the house. Children today grow up far too removed from their food systems. Plus, they usually end up with greener thumbs than adults anyway, so put them to work!)

Revitalize the three Rs -- Remember the environmental experiment in alliteration known as "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?" I grew up with that phrase shoved down my throat so often that the "made with recycled paper" stickers on my notebooks lost all meaning.

It's easy to say you're resolving to incorporate the three Rs in your everyday life, much like it's easy to say every January 1 that you're going to eat healthier this year. But by picking one area of your life where the three Rs can fit in all year long, you can make a lasting commitment to changing the world around you. Here are some suggestions for making the three Rs real again:

• Reduce: Make a pledge to not buy any new clothes this year. You'd be amazed what you can find at resale shops, and it's another good way to go green on the cheap.
• Re-use: Throw out one category of disposable items permanently. Look in your closet (or your trash) for your unnecessary disposables. It's different for everyone; some people buy bottled water (if you still buy bottled water, this should probably be your first choice. Not convinced? Here are five undisputable reasons to give up your dependence on Big Water and you should probably check out this amazing movie), razors, diapers, or dental floss holders. Pick one of those things and resolve to end your dependence upon it by buying the permanent version. Reusable water bottles, razors, and the like are pretty cheap investments and will save you money in the long run.
• Recycle: Start composting; your new garden will love it. This may seem like a hassle for very little payoff, but the EPA estimates that 24 percent of solid waste in this country could serve as compost.

Eat your words -- Changing your diet is one of the most significant things you can do for the planet, but also one of the most difficult. The production of meat is highly inefficient in terms of natural resources and it's also the cause of serious public health problems, from cancer to cholesterol. But going vegetarian might be too difficult or massive of a change for most people. The answer? Resolve to join in on Meatless Mondays.

According to experts at the Bard Center and the University of Chicago, if we all cut meat out of our diets just once a week, we'd cut the same amount of greenhouse gasses from the environment as we would if we all switched to hybrid vehicles, or around 12 billion gallons of gas over the course of a year. For recipes and more information about the national Meatless Mondays campaign, click here.

Of course, there are hundreds of resolutions each of us could make on Earth Day. Are you going to choose something from the list above? Do you have an idea not mentioned here? Whatever the case, share your Earth Day resolution with us by commenting below. And have a happy Earth Day.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

Image courtesy of Woodleywonderworks.

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