I got to know Earth Day as an activist holiday in college. I remember celebrating the 20th Earth Day — I even have a friend who was born on the first Earth Day. (Happy birthday, Hal!) I grew up when litter was a big environmental issue — people actually thought it was normal to throw trash out the window when driving down the highway. Can you imagine? Pollution and oil spills were also big environmental news.

Anyway, I am now flabbergasted to stop and realize that the electric cars that we thought were crazy futuristic ideas are now actually in people’s garages. Even seeing real solar panels on roofs in my neighborhood is truly amazing. Our cars are regularly checked for dangerous emissions. We have come a long way.

In Arlington County, Virginia, where I live, residents are given recycling bins by the government along with our trash bins. In those bins, we can put as much commingled recyclable material as will fit, from office paper to glass, including newspaper, cardboard and all sorts of plastics. This is such a grand luxury as compared to life in the 70s and 80s.

So, I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all the Earth Day rallies before us. It’s all the banner-waving, litter-gathering folks (including me and some of my friends) that came before today that got us here. All the folks that made laborious trips to the recycling center with big sacks of stinky beer cans and bottles convinced counties and cities that collecting recyclables is worth it. Petitions and protests against pollution have cleaned our air and improved working conditions. Scientists have worked hard on green technology that now easily fits into our daily lives.

So today, as you think about global warming or alternative energy sources, or ocean preservation or national parks or whatever your favorite part of Earth Day is, remember that we have done some good over the last 40 years. Know that change is possible, and be proud of our big gorgeous, vibrant planet (still erupting and quaking and everything) and celebrate today!

Some of my favorite green causes:

• EarthLab — a comprehensive learning site.
• The Nature Conservancy — protecting Earth’s most important natural places — for you and future generations — through great science and smart partnerships.
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation — the bay will always need protecting!
• Environmental Defense Fund — linking science, economics and law to create solutions to our environmental problems.
• U.S. National Park Service — treasures we should guard for generations to come, and enjoy now.
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy — creating a network of trails from former rail lines.
• Surfrider Foundation — protecting the coastal environments, promoting low-impact use of the beaches, waves and oceans.
• Live Earth — What does the 40th Earth Day mean to you?
• Repower America — Together, we can solve the climate crisis. Join the movement calling for clean energy HERE (and enjoy a great remix video).

Also read: 4 ways to celebrate Earth Day

It’s the beginning of 2010, and I’ve gotta set my goals! Last year I gave up buying plastic water bottles, and it worked! I recommend it to everyone. We saved lots of money, and got attached to our water bottles and filtering system. It works just fine, and now we’ve got more room in the refrigerator for BEER! ☺

So here are the resolutions:

• More writing: journal every day, on paper. Some stuff didn’t get recorded last year because I didn’t want to share it with the world. So I need to organize my thoughts on paper first.
• More exercise: get in that gym, at least twice a week.
• More travel: including within DC. There are some great exhibits and museums that I need to see. Concerts and shows, too!
• Home improvement: continue to green my lifestyle, purge the junk and organize the good stuff.
• Taco night on Mondays: to simplify menu planning and because we like tacos. ☺

Wish me luck, and I wish you luck with your resolutions… if you’ve made them? If you haven’t yet, I hereby give you til the end of January to come up with some. We’ve got 11 months to go, folks. That’s a lot of time to pick something to improve on or have fun with.

Most importantly,

★  ♪ ♫   Happy New Year! ♪ ♫ ♪ ★

The Washington Post recently wrote a story on the little island of Chincoteague, and it just so happened that my lover man and I were planning an escape to the island made famous by Misty too.

We’ve been there before, and we have a favorite hotel. It so happens our favorite is not one of the rentals, nor a campground, nor a bed & breakfast, although those are all there. I really do love watching the ducks in the yards of the B&Bs.

We like to stay in the Best Western that is the last hotel on the road to the beach. They offer a hot breakfast in the lobby in the morning, and they have bicycles for rent behind the hotel. It means we were able to get to the beach before (mostly) anyone else in the morning, (although there is also a pool there at the hotel). We were out there with the fishermen and the lifeguards. First dibs!

Since we’re vegetarians, we take our own food with us and the hotel is quite nice about letting us use the microwave in the lobby whenever necessary. There are sizeable refrigerators in the rooms. But we found a pretty plentiful vegetarian selection at the new Mexican restaurant, Don Alarios, just down the road, too. There is also a nice sandwich shack down on Main Street. And I would never miss Mr. Whippy’s drive-through ice cream shop.

Our other favorite stop is Psychotronic, an electic shop full of collectible books, records, videos and ’stuff.’ It’s at 4102 Main Street in Chincoteague and is run by the legendary Michael Weldon and his wife Mia.

I highly recommend visiting the wildlife refuge on Assateague Island to take advantage of the bus tour of the refuge. We really enjoyed the opportunity to see more of the wild horses in their natural habitat, and the driver/tour guide really knew her stuff not only about the refuge, but also about the lighthouse and the rest of the island. It was a great introduction, and a good way to start a vacation there at Chincoteague if you’ve never been there before.

You’ll also notice when you make your way towards the beach that it’s a National Park, which asks you to pay an admission/parking fee each day. If you’re around for a few days, go ahead and get the weekly pass for $15 and save yourself the money and trouble of paying the daily fee. That’s a free tip from me to you! ♥

And OH the big story… the wild horses are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Technically, they rent space from the National Park Service for the horses to run wild on Assateague Island. But there’s only enough room for 150 or so horses on the refuge. So the pony swim happens once every summer when the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department sells off the extra ponies from the refuge -  the foals born over the year get sold off each summer at an auction. It’s late July this year, and it’s a BIG DEAL in Chincoteague.

To celebrate Earth Day I’d like to share some of my favorite ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. These are tried and tested items, not just things that look pretty. I own and use these things every day, I promise!

1. English Retreads Large Model T Tote – This is one of my favorite tote bags. It’s absolutely indestructible, and polishes clean with Armor-All, as it’s made from the inner tubing of truck tires. HEAVY DUTY. Still 100% glamorous. I also have a smaller version for evenings.
2. Preserve Toothbrushes, Ultra Soft Bristles, 6-count package – These toothbrushes are made from those yogurt cups that many of us plow through every day. That plastic is harder to find a home for than other plastics, but this company has done wonders with it. These toothbrushes are fab, and colorful, too. Preserve will take them back when you’re done with them, too! Really. I buy them in dozens and give them to my family and friends at Christmas and Easter.
3. Real Deal Made in Brazil Tarp Hat – It’s recycled from Brazilian truck tarps, and made to last. Very durable, and hip for man or woman headed on a weekend camping trip or a month in the outback.
4. Washington, DC’s Metro system – This is my primary mode of transport, and it saves me about 84 miles of driving a week.

I hope you find these little things helpful. Perhaps you can weave them into your own life! Don’t want to spend any extra money? Just follow this link to the Rainforest Site where all you have to do is ‘Click to Give‘… Or join the Earth Day Network here. Thanks and happy Earth Day!