Since 1970, Earth Day (April 22nd) has been set aside as a day to honor the Earth, consider the challenges facing the environment, and explore the opportunities we have — as individuals, communities, and nations — to help protect and replenish our precious natural resources.
Twenty-five years ago, Earthbound Farm began in a small way with just one personal choice: to farm organically. Our founders, Drew and Myra Goodman, just didn’t want to put harmful chemicals on the food they were growing literally in their backyard. They understood that the air, water, land, and food that sustains us would all be healthier if they farmed using sustainable organic methods.
Sometimes it can seem as though we, as individuals, don’t have enough power to make a dent in the problems facing our planet today. The good news is that each of us can help protect the environment through the personal choices we make every day. Do something big or something small, but do something.
Power in Our Pocketbooks
Each of us carries incredible power in our pocketbooks. When we choose sustainable products, we help create demand for still more environmentally friendly products, which in turn drives changes in the companies that make them. Together, we can create a new economy that will help us all live more lightly on the planet.
Research shows that our personal environmental impact is largely a result of food, home energy, and transportation. Food represents a unique opportunity for us to reduce our impact, because food choices are relatively easy to make (or change), and they make such a big difference. According to Environmental Defense, if everyone in the US had one meat-free day a week, for example, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking 8 million cars off American roads.
Eating more sustainably can be healthier — and more delicious! — for you and your family, and it can help protect the environment at the same time. It’s not an all-or-nothing proposition: changing even one thing can make a big difference. What’s important is to find what works for you.
We’ve rounded up some ideas we can all use into a list we’re calling the Sustain Yourself, Sustain the Planet Pledge.
- Click on the sun icons to see what a difference your choices can make, and pledge to try one or more of them in your life.
- Then print out your choices as a reminder of your pledge — if you’re one of the first 10,000 people to take the pledge each week in April, you’ll win a beautiful Earthbound Farm reusable shopping tote!
