Indisposable planet
Take time to recalculate the Earth’s worth

Earth Day, a celebration of the environment that began 38 years ago, has gone year-round, 24/7, as Americans graduate from a throwaway society to a lifestyle mindful of nature’s limits.

The new paradigm calls for recycling, both as consumers and as businesses. Buying is no longer solely about price and style, but also about product content and whether manufacturers did their best to follow sustainability practices.

Going green is the latest catch phrase, but it’s not as easy as reading the label and opting for the “all-natural” or “non-toxic” product. There’s a new lingo to learn if you want to avoid “green washing” and Madison Avenue hype.

In this special eco-section, we offer tips on going solar, driving hybrids, using less energy (and fewer harmful products) at home and dumping less construction waste at the local landfill.

The goal, as the experts say, is to reduce our “carbon footprint” and slow down, and eventually reverse, the global greenhouse effect that could lead to catastrophic effects worldwide.

In short, the little steps we take to coexist with our surroundings today could save us from having to take drastic steps tomorrow.

The choice is up to each one of us on Planet Earth.

Roger M. Showley (619) 293-1286; roger.showley@uniontrib.com