How Earth Day Improves Lives

Earth Day Festivities 2015, Union Square, New York

Today is the 45^th annual Earth Day and there are various “green” events going on both locally and nationwide to promote a more sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle.  The first Earth Day took place in 1970 and it was such a success that it’s grown ever since as more people recognize the importance of a cleaner environment. By 1990, Earth Day became an international phenomenon and is currently celebrated in more than 175 countries.  In 2009, the United Nations declared April 22 to be “International Mother Earth Day.” 

This past weekend there was a huge event downtown on the National Mall that promoted environmental awareness and the importance of “living green.”  Some of the musical acts included Mary J. Blige, No Doubt, Usher, Fall Out Boy among others.  Sustainable living can make both good economic and environmental sense.  Adopting a green lifestyle can mean: (1) developing cleaner, alternative energies, thereby reducing society’s consumption of fossil fuels; (2) recycling more and consuming less; and (3) making our homes and businesses more energy efficient.

In recent years, the cost of gasoline has increased and has even reached $4 a gallon at times.  Although, gasoline costs less now than it did a year ago, fuel prices typically increase during the spring and summer months.  Public interest in and demand for alternative energy sources (e.g. electric, solar, wind power) has soared.  Unlike solar and wind energy, oil and coal are finite resources that pollute. 

As the cost of fuel has increased, sales of larger, less fuel efficient vehicles have declined in the United States, while the demand for more fuel efficient cars has increased.  More people that have access to mass transit are taking it to minimize time spent in traffic and reduce the amount of money spent on fuel.   New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority recently said “…ridership grew 2.6% to 1.751 billion customers in 2014. Some 5.6 million customers rode the subway on an average weekday and 6 million customers on an average weekend.”  In addition, The Business Council for Sustainable Energy noted the consumption of gasoline in the United States is “down 8.6% since 2005.”

Recycling reduces pollution by preventing waste and lowering the need for natural resources.  Recycling metals, plastics and glass also provide new building materials at a fraction of the cost.  In 2003, for example, 54 billion aluminum cans were recycled, saving the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil -- America’s entire gas consumption for one day.  Reusing old supplies, like plastic bags, is also beneficial since it keeps toxic materials out of landfills.

Similarly, homes can be made more energy efficient in a variety of ways.  One of the easiest things people can do is use more energy efficient appliances.  They are often marked with the “Energy Star” logo, meaning they are certified by the government as energy efficient.  Also, Compact Fluorescent Light or “CFL” bulbs consume less electricity and last much longer than traditional light bulbs.  Some people prefer the energy efficient “LED” bulbs (LED stands for “light-emitting diode.”) since they don’t require any time to warm up and immediately reach their full brightness once turned on.  Although CFL and LED bulbs both cost more in the store than the traditional incandescent bulbs, it’s important to realize that they last much longer than their older counterparts.  The money people save in the long run on their energy bills by using CFL or LED bulbs outweigh their higher sticker price.

Although Earth Day is only once a year, living green is something that’s easy to do all year long.  By reducing waste and recycling, as well as generating less pollution from transportation and energy production, sustainable living can be a win-win strategy.