How I Trashed the Planet on Earth Day
In case you missed it, last Wednesday was Earth Day…a day to learn about, protect, and celebrate the planet. And to be very honest, I really blew it. For better or for worse, my schedule is bordeline frantic for the entire month of April with interviews, speaking engagements, and planning preparations surrounding Earth Day. Ironically, for someone who earns all of that fame as a “green parent,” I often fall short of both marks as I struggle to keep up with everything in April. And this year, my worst infractions actually occured on Earth Day itself. Here’s the roundup:
Strike 1
12:00AM: My daughter’s kindergarten teacher had asked me to come in on Earth Day and talk to her class about going green. I was all set with my presentation but I needed some supplies at the store. It was midnight and offically Earth Day proper. I blearly headed to the store with my supply list, but in my stupor I forgot my reusable bags. My heart sunk as I realized that all of my “going green” supplies would be packaged in plastic bags.
Strike 2
8:00am I had fully intended to ditch the car and travel by foot for all of Earth Day. The weather was pretty enough and my errands and chores were close enough that it shouldn’t have even been a problem to walk from place to place…BUT…my 3 year old had different plans for the day. She awoke in the morning absolutely heartbroken that she didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to her daddy before he left for work. And being 3, that broken heart quickly turned in to a nightmare of a temper tantrum. I felt sorry for her, and it seemed silly to stick to a “no driving” edict when my little one just wanted to see her daddy. So we piled in the car and drove the 10 or so miles to my husband’s office so that she could give her dad a kiss.
Strike 3
10:00am: Well, the good news is that when my daughter and I got to the National Park where my husband works, we all decided to go on an impromptu walk to enjoy the beautiful day. We got fresh air and exercise while appreciating the beauty of nature. Like I said, that’s the good news. The bad news is that as I was not expecting to go on this walk, I was now rushed to get to the school for my Earth Day presentation. Also, my 3 year old hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. Forced to choose between a hunger-induced tantrum and missing the kindergarten presentation, I opted to do something I try to avoid doing…drive thru.
So there you have it, before the clock even struck noon on Earth Day, I had forgotten my reusable bags, wasted gas with a frivilous trip in the car, and generated a heap of trash on dubious drive-thru fare. All in all, not an Earth Day to really be proud of. So hey, it’s a good thing for me that I really try
to make my best effort at going green every day…not just one day a year. That way, when I flub up (even if I flub up on Earth Day) I can just pick up where I left off the next day. And I’m happy to report that the day after Earth Day was pretty darn green indeed!
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