May I take a minute to introduce myself? My name is Wade Padgett, and I am a hippie. Or at least I have been recently accused of such. I am a Southwest Airlines Green Ambassador after all, and this might lend credence to the hippie label. Personally though; I like to think that I care. I care that you and I have clean water to drink. I care that you or I won’t be swimming in a plastic ocean. I care that your family and mine, from the smallest kitten to eldest grandparent, will not have to fight a proposed landfill by our houses, because the other landfill has too much trash. These are the reasons why I recycle, actively compost in my backyard, ride my bike as much as possible and shop for organic local products, and finally, this is why my baby wears cloth diapers. Is this over the edge? Some might think so, but it’s really not. Anyone can do these things…anyone. It matters not whether you are an individual, or a large corporation; you have a daily opportunity to choose what is good for you and those around you. Small things like recycling, or not using plastic if a paper choice is available are things anyone can do. It is because of these choices that I am writing today.
As it falls every year, Earth Day is April 22nd. Maybe you have heard the phrase “make every day Earth day.” The fact that we need a day designated to remind people you live on Earth and you should take care of it is surprising to me. Unless you are on the TV show Hoarders; you probably wouldn’t let your house get messy, so why let your planet get messy? Whether you agree with the science of global warming or not, there are undisputable facts regarding the Earth and its cleanliness:
- Earth is not getting larger, but it is getting more populated (people are living longer, surviving illness and births, etc.)
- We as humans throw away a lot of stuff. Especially Americans: we generated 243 million tons of garbage in 2009, which is the equivalent of 4.34 pounds per person per day.
- Everything you throw out has to go somewhere; if it is plastic, it may end up here.
http://www.bambooandtikis.com/blog/garbage-patch-in-great-pacific
Disgusting right? Well my new Earth-conscious observers, the need to worry has passed! Take a minute to think about what you can do to help the Earth and make “every day Earth day”. Small changes bring about larger changes.
I understand that not everyone is able to make a cleaning kit for the home using non-toxic chemicals and processes. Not everyone is going to understand that everything that gets dumped into a landfill, lake or river, will eventually make it into their sinks and faucets again. I do understand that Southwest makes great efforts as a Company to do the reasonable thing when it comes to the environment. After all, we are fighting an uphill battle because our planes don’t run on sunshine (yet). Do your part. Join us and help make a difference today, and every day!
Click here to check out Southwest Airline’s environmental commitment.
