Earth Day 2023
For the second year in a row the theme of Earth Day is ‘Invest In Our Planet’. Even though Earth Day is the World’s most widely participated in civic events annually, we need to hear the message again. Our climate crisis is quickening. The effects are being felt in vast, rippling ways. How often do you catch yourself saying, “ The weather seems to be so *insert anomaly* for this time of year”? I grimly wonder if flower farming is a wise career choice…given the progressive volatility of the weather patterns, supply chains, etc. In 5 or 10 years time what will the water security be? How about food security? Will growing flowers even matter in the face of the greater issues?
If you’re anything like me, it’s hard to not get lost in the doom and gloom of it all. But this is Doom & Bloom Farm, where we grow flowers that can survive under all the rain. It’s crucial that we work together to ensure the planet for those that come after us. This Earth Day I choose to focus on the things that are within my power. I can use regenerative farming practices to conserve water and biodiversity. I can educate those who interact with Doom & Bloom Farm about socio-environmental impacts of unsustainable flower farming and purchasing. Also I can share the many ways we try to stay green over here in the Garcia household. After all, it’s not any one thing that is going to save us, but a combination of efforts great and small.
Plastic
One of the biggest sources of environmental pollution is of course plastic. Every piece of plastic you have ever thrown away is still around somewhere. It’s everywhere, in everything. We are throwing away tubes, bottles, you name it like it’s going out of fashion… probably because it is. Several years ago I dedicated myself to finding plastic-free versions of household items. Here is an (unsponsored) list of some of my favorite ways to keep products we use everyday from adding to the landfill.
Bite: Bite produces oral hygiene products without all the packaging. The toothpaste and mouthwash come in tablet form that are easily activated with some water and a…bite. Your first shipment of each product comes with a reusable glass container. All subsequent orders are sent in compostable packaging. We’ve been using them for about 6 years and can honestly say we still have the original containers. It’s also amazing how much bathroom counter space you have with just a few small jars.
Dropps: All products are geared for everyday cleaning needs. They boast plant and mineral based ingredients, as well as recyclable or compostable packaging. We have been using their laundry and dish detergent for about 5 years. My husband’s workout clothes are fresh, the dishes are clean, and they come scent free for the allergen-sensitive people like myself.
Ridwell: This is a phenomenal business that helps everyday people get their plastic waste actually recycled. My favorite is their plastic film recycling. Hands down this has helped us reduce our curbside waste. Ridwell also takes: plastic take out containers, styrofoam, batteries, threads. They have a different category every pickup that highlights a different hard to recycle item such as: medicine bottles, chargers, sports equipment etc.
Water
The earth is approximately 70% water, but only about 3% of that is freshwater. Of that 3%, ~ .5% is appropriate for drinking. The average household uses 350 gallons of water per day. According to the EPA 40 out of 50 state water managers expect water shortages in their states within the next decade. Water conservation matters because it helps ensure that we have enough clean and safe water for both present and future generations. It also helps to protect aquatic ecosystems, reduce energy use/ greenhouse gas emissions, and save money on water bills.
Shower Bucket: Showers are the 3rd biggest drain on our household water sources after washing machines and dishwashers. Place a bucket to catch cold water while you are waiting for your shower to heat up. In our household of 2, we catch on average 5 gallons/day. Meaning we save at least 150 gallons of water per month with this method. The bucket water can be used for any number of tasks such as: watering plants, filling the dog’s water bowl, brushing your teeth, etc.
Take shorter showers: The average person takes an 8 minute shower which consumes ~16 gallons of water. I like to play a song that is around 4 minutes long and make it a goal to be done with my shower before the song ends. This way I know I’m saving both water and energy by cutting my hot water use in half.
When brushing your teeth or shaving, don’t keep the water running. This saves 8-10 gallons per activity, adding up to saving ~5,700 gallons/year.
Fill an 8-12 oz bottle with rocks and place it in your toilet tan (if you don’t have a low flow toilet already). This will displace and save water with every flush.
Check your toilet and faucets for leaks. Even a small leak can waste 50-100 gallons a day.
Ditch the lawn and plant natives instead. Each square foot of lawn takes 44 gallons of water annually to survive. Native plants root systems are designed to thrive in your local climate and won’t require such extravagant amounts of water to survive.
Focus on soil health to improve water retention. This goes beyond just putting a layer of mulch around plants and trees to help prevent excessive evaporation. By focusing on regenerative practices the biodiversity in the soil helps plants be more efficient at uptaking water and nutrients, as well as helps the soil retain moisture.
Up to 50% of water we use for our lawns and gardens is lost to: wind, evaporation, and runoff. Water your garden at night or before 8 am to prevent immediate surface evaporation of moisture. Focus on soil health for additional security against water runoff.
Sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of rinsing with a hose. Our garden hoses pump out, on average, 13 gallons/minute. That means in just 10 minutes you will have wasted over 130 gallons of water.
Eat less water intensive foods. The diet of a carnivore consumes 14x more water than that of a vegetarian. It is estimated that a vegan diet indirectly saves around 600 gallons of water per day.
I could keep going on and on with all the ways we can band together to conserve our precious Earth’s resources. The phrase “think globally, act locally” comes to mind. There are countless ways we can all do a little each day to contribute to the health of our planet, and ourselves. So this Earth Day I challenge you to write down 5-10 ways you can implement change for the environment. Whether it's flexing your voting muscle for candidates that back environmental justice, taking the bus once a week, or saying no to plastic water bottles… We all have the power to make small changes count.
