Greener Earth Day

For a week or so now, it has all been around Earth Day.

If you ask me, it doesn't take a day, or a week to become aware of what the planet needs: it takes a cultural shock.

The one where you realize that some Countries are allowing themselves privileges and economical growth at the so called third world's expenses and with an enormous impact on all the planet.

Today we were at the Indian Island County Park in Riverhead to celebrate too; it's a bit contradictory that we were driving half an hour to learn how much plastic you can save buying one large chip bag instead of ten small bags...Not true, there were many hikers who could share precious hints .

Carlotta got a lot of gadgets from the stands which were promoting awareness about nature on Long Island and the earth altogether... and I am very proud to say that she can read the words "Save Planet Earth" all by herself.

She has being learning about environment and recycling in pre-school; she has of course a four year old girl's understanding of what it is all about.

Couple of nights ago, while I was brushing her teeth, she came up with these very words:

"Mom, you are keeping the earth clean". I was a bit puzzled.How?
By brushing her teeth?How dirty must they have been???

"Yes, because you don't throw your cigarettes out of the car window!".

Now it started making some more sense, if we don't consider the little detail that I DON'T SMOKE AT ALL.

Later that week she suddenly proclaimed "We don't throw chewing gum out of the window" (littering is a bad habit).

"We can bring it home so we can recycle it!"

Family detail aside, what can I personally do save the planet?
As a blogger I will join the initiative called My Blog is carbon neutral started by bloggers of Make it green (Mach's grün).
The program is trying to neutralize the carbon footprints caused by blogs  (8 lb per year - a bit less than half of the emissions an average American person would produce) by planting a tree, which in turn absorbs about 11 lb of  carbon dioxide per year.

If you are interested in carbon dioxide emissions per Country and pro-capita, you should take a look this list. Pretty scary.

Update: For more about Earth Day, I suggest this article.