Photo by *dscript

Earth Day is just around the corner (April 22nd), and champions of the environment are once again gathering to save our glorious world. Earth Day had been around since 1970, a time when social change was burgeoning, and Americans were starting collectively to become more self-aware.

Prior to the 1960s, plumes of smog and industrial complexes were thought of as par for the course of progress. The long term impact of pollution was thrust to the forefront of the public eye with Rachel Carson’s 1962 bestseller “Silent Spring,” and catastrophes like New York’s Love Canal (the original Superfund site). Since then, Earth Day has expanded across countries and is now celebrated in 175 countries worldwide.

This year’s Earth Day theme is “The Face of Climate Change,” and it serves as a call to action to everyone. Climate change is a global problem that’s creeping up into everyone’s backyard, and it’s everyone’s problem. Showing your support for the earth this April 22nd is a terrific way to step up to the plate and bat a home run for mother earth.

Check Out an Event

No matter where you live, there’s an Earth Day event waiting for you. The EPA and Earth Day network sites offer resources to find out where Earth Day events are happening. Virginia celebrates with the Mason Neck State Park’s Eagle Festival, a place where businesses, politicians and civilians join to celebrate and make a difference. Foley Alabama hosts an environmental extravaganza and river job … the events truly are endless, and there’s no excuse to miss a day of fun and contribute.

Make a Green Pledge

Helping the environment isn’t just something you pledge to do one day out of the year. True earth warriors make subtle changes to their lifestyles daily. Maybe you can decide to ride your bike to the store instead of driving. Or, perhaps this will be the year you plant a garden, or maybe just swap out harmful practices for greener options. Even little things like refusing to buy plastic bottles to help save the 17 million barrels of oil used to make them each year. Even small changes like selecting printingforless.com business cards help bolster the green-friendly industry. The simple act of recycling old mobile devices (you can find where and how on Earth911.com) makes a monumental difference.

Volunteer!

The gift of time and/or effort is priceless, and prolonging the earth’s time through acts of service is one of the most valuable gifts you can give. Services like volunteermatch.com can help pair you with the nonprofit you’re looking for, and the service can also help pair employers and local communities to develop programs that help to engage volunteers. There are thousands of opportunities for every taste, so long as your taste has something to do with improving the world around you.

A Simple Pineapple

The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family. It is extremely rare that bromeliads produce edible fruit. The pineapple is the only available edible bromeliad today.

It is a multiple fruit. One pineapple is actually made up of dozens of individual floweret’s that grow together to form the entire fruit. Each scale on a pineapple is evidence of a separate flower.

Pineapples stop ripening the minute they are picked. No special way of storing them will help ripen them further. Color is relatively unimportant in determining ripeness.

Choose your pineapple by smell. If it smells fresh, tropical and sweet, it will be a good fruit.

The more scales on the pineapple, the sweeter and juicier the taste.

After you cut off the top, you can plant it. It should grow much like a sweet potato will.

This delicious fruit is not only sweet and tropical; it also offers many benefits to our health. Pineapple is a remarkable fruit. (more…)

For those of us that choose to live a greener life, environmental sustainability is always at the forefront of our minds. Whether we’re choosing a new car, picking out a new computer or simply buying light bulbs – there’s always a greener option out there if we look for it. With 2013 resolutions prompting many of us to get fit, it only makes sense that our workouts take on a similar shade of guilt-free green. Forget making carbon footprints on your gym’s treadmill, and instead look to the great outdoor spaces in your area for exercise – they’re free, full of fresh air and as green as you’re going to get! What’s more, the benefits are fantastic and might well surprise you. (more…)