Earth Day.

Well Happy Earth Day folks...probably. There appear to be to competing Earth Days - including one that calls itself the The original Earth Day, on the March equinox and so was on Friday.

Yep - we can't even agree on when to have a special day for the planet, let alone what we might want to give it!

Anyway - today is fine by me - and I start by thanking bojojoti for my tree. Like Bojo I love the way that this wonderful technology (the internet, not the tree!) allows me to know and care about people around the world. Come to think of it, as technology goes, the planet probably appreciates the tree more than the internet.

Here are a couple of pictures of our little bit of the planet( Under this cut )

A bit of the planet worth preserving, eh? But that wonderful weather is not usual for this time of year - our climate really is changing. As sea levels are rising, most of Peel will disappear in the next fifty or so years - apart from the houses on the hill, and up around the cathedral.

Even though there are those who insist on irrefutable, 100%, proof that humanity has anything to do with this before they will change their lifestyle, or that of their country, I think that if there is any chance at all that we are in some way responsible we should try to reduce the damage. If in five or ten years time someone produces proof that we are doing no harm at all by using up vast amounts of all the natural resources, then we can happily go back to out wasteful ways - I'd rather we were doing things we don't actually need to, than not doing things we should be!


So in honour of Earth Day I am considering what I am doing towards being kind to the planet -

I have been busy filling our marvellous compost bin with plant trimmings,kitchen scraps, shredded bank statements* and tired compost which should eventually come out the bottom re-invigorated (thinks - maybe I should put self and/or husband in, and see if it works as well...).

*Old ones -I don't actually get paper bank statements any more, I do all my banking on-line, and so save trees.

I drive a car with a small, clean engine.

I recycle my glass bottles and jars by taking them to the recycler, or giving them to the lady at church who makes jam to refill them.

I take my papers to the recycler.

I have showers not baths.

I buy Fairtrade goods wherever they are an option - but then that is more for the inhabitants than for the planet itself....

Hmm - I'm not sure I do much more, to be honest. I think my bit for the planet is the equivalent of a very cheap birthday card which arrives a day late...