Earth Day

So this post is coming a day late, but better late than never right? Anyways, yesterday was Earth Day, a day that for the most part hasn't really held any significance in my life. At work however, I have just become our office's "green team" representative. Which basically means that I try to get everyone in our office to be more environmentally friendly. 

Yesterday for Earth Day, a few people in our office participated in the Lexington Downtown Trash Bash. Basically, a few of us went downtown and the people organizng it gave us trash bags, gloves and hand sanitizer, assigned us a route, and we went and picked up trash along the route.

Honestly, it wasn't the most fun thing I've ever done. Picking up trash along the side of the road is not glamorous. But I think it was good that we did it. Being "green" is the new thing to do, and I think that Christians haven't really seen it as an important issue. I, for the most part, have always been of the opinion that we need to worry about people. Obviously we don't blatantly try to harm the environment, but it was just something I was never really concerned about.

Then I read the book Serve God Save the Planet by Dr. Matthew Sleeth. I think that really opened my eyes to the fact that not caring for the environment, at least for me, was a byproduct of a selfish and lazy attitude. In the book, Sleeth points out how the ways that won't don't care for the environment impact other people. And how it is often the most disadvantaged people that are affected by the consequences of our actions. A lot of the things I do that aren't good for the environment I do because they are more convenient for me, and I don't think about how others are affected by them. Therefore, when I do things that I know are harmful to the earth, I am basically having an attitude that says that my convenience and what I have to do is more important than someone else.

Now I say all this knowing that I am definitely not the most green person. I drive my car by myself to work every day even though I work with someone who lives right down the street from me. (The reason we don't carpool is because he goes into work and leaves at different times than I do and I like to go home during lunch.) I am not the model of an environmentally conscious person. However, reading that book made me have a different attitude toward my actions and the environment. I know that a complete overhaul of my lifestyle is really not realistic, but I do try to be more green wherever possible, and to not be lazy about things like unplugging things when they aren't being used and turning lights off etc.

This book has loads of practical suggestions of easy ways that we can be more friendly to the environment, and I am trying to incorporate those more and more into my life. I figure if we all chose a few, it would make a big difference. You should definitely check out the book if you haven't already. Happy Earth Day!