Hey Southern California, I love ya! But you already knew that, didn’t you? You are my small slice of paradise on a beautiful planet that is unique in all the vastness of the Universe, at least based on humanity’s limited knowledge. You are a part of the only known planet in all the cosmos with oceans of Dihydrogen Monoxide, also known as life-sustaining water!
But our planet is wonderful even beyond H2O, which I’ve been known to enjoy a glass of every once in a while. Your planet also has vast forests, trees and plants of all colors, shapes and sizes. Your planet’s animals vary so much that it boggles my mind with billions of insects that are truly wonderful, although somewhat annoying at times! It also harbors birds that soar through the air with ease, creatures that burrow underground, killer animals like sharks and tigers, and even wonderful loving animals like dogs, cats, and other domesticated pets. And this is only a small list of the wonderful things Planet Earth has provided!
So, Southern California, I dedicate myself and ask others to join me in celebrating Earth Day today, April 22nd, 2017. I will commemorate the day and recognize the awesomeness of our Third Rock from the Sun by picking up trash whenever I can, where ever I can. I have a pretty busy day today, but keeping an eye out and simply bending over and picking up a piece of trash when I see it seems like a small sacrifice for our little Space Blueberry. I actually started yesterday when I walked to pick my kids up from school. I ended up with three pieces of trash that everyone else just walked passed!
But there are other things I can do to help clean up just a bit. Here’s my quick list. I encourage you to do a few of these suggestions too, or create your own if you like. As long as it helps clean up our home, even if it’s on a small scale, it matters:
- Pick up trash from around my neighborhood
- Strike up a conversation with my kids about not littering
- Plant a tree, bush, or something else green
- Make sure my lawn mower runs efficiently to lower it’s emissions
- Fix any leaky faucets in or around my home
- Walk when I can instead of driving
- Pull the weeds around our house by hand instead of using herbicides
- Find more things to include in the recycle bin instead of the trash can
- Try to re-home unwanted items instead of throwing them away
- Stop pouring oil down the storm drain (Just kidding! I’ve never done that! 🙂 )
So that’s my list, and that’s my pitch. We don’t have to do things that change the world on a global scale, but it would be nice to clean up where we live, even just a little. After all, it’s our home!
-Todd J Garrigus Broker, Garrigus Real Estate