Tending the Earth

Re: “Thousands of Canadians take to streets to mark Earth Day,” April 23.

Celebrating Earth Day through joining with other like-minded individuals is always a good idea and a great way to enhance the collective energy of all participants. However, I choose to make every day Earth Day and invite others to join in.

My initiative involves challenging everyone to stop littering and to stop and pick up litter when you see it, rather than ignoring it. Every day as I walk my dogs (of course I pick up after them always), I make a point of picking up litter.

Since I walk past two schools, one a K-12 and the other a high school, I always have litter to pick up. Mostly, it consists of Styrofoam plates from the local pizza joint, but also includes numerous cardboard coffee cups, lids, plastic glasses and straws. I draw the line at dirty diapers.

Not everyone litters, but I seem to be alone in the picking-up department. Like graffiti, if it is left unchecked, it will proliferate. Like graffiti, it seems no one ever sees the person doing it, but it shows up all the same.

The next time you are walking down the street, to the mailbox or through a parking lot, don’t just look at the litter and ignore it. Stop, pick it up and dispose of it in the nearest trash bin.

This is our Earth. Let’s keep it by working together.