BeckerSurf

Everyday, we try to waste a little less and love the Earth a little more, but coming this Monday, April 22nd is Earth Day, the perfect chance to really give it your all.

Just a little history on Earth Day, which is now a billion-people plus, globally celebrated holiday that is sometimes extended into Earth Week, a full seven days of events focused on green awareness:

• It was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson and inspired by the antiwar protests of the late 1960s. Nelson hoped to raise public awareness of air and water pollution.
• By the early 1960s, Americans were becoming aware of the effects of pollution on the environment.
• It began as a “national teach-in on the environment” and was held on April 22 to maximize the number of students that could be reached on university campuses.

Since Earth Day is a day for action, it’s the perfect chance to show how important the environment is to you. We noted these ideas last year, but it’s good to revisit them again in case you’re stumped what you can do to participate:

Bring your own reusable shopping bags to the store. There’s no need for a proliferation of plastic and paper bags, which are so bad for our environment.

Pledge to use paper carefully and encourage others to do so, too. Opt to go paperless wherever possible.

Encourage healthier eating habits. Try to eat a sustainable healthy plantarian, pure vegetarian, vegan diet. Support your local farmer’s markets for fresh local produce. They usually grow organic vegetables which are better for our environment and your body as they don’t use harmful pesticides or fertilizers. Or better yet, grow your own garden and make sure not to use any pesticides or harmful fertilizers.

Conserve water. Take shorter showers. Try to limit showers to 10 minutes or less. Also, switch off the tap while brushing your teeth.

Conserve electricity. Turn off the lights if you don’t need them, and never leave your laptop ON when not using it. Use ceiling fans in the summer and winter months for climate control. Replace older light bulbs with energy-efficient CFL or LED bulbs.

Raise awareness about Earth Day. Continue to educate yourself and others on how to save our resources and act green. A good resource is the Earth Day site: www.earthday.org.

Walk or bike instead of driving places if you can. It will help reduce our dependence on oil.

Lower Use of Bottled Water/Beverages. Although it may be convenient, purchasing bottled water should be avoided if possible. Try filling reusable containers with tap water and leaving them in your fridge as an alternative.

Plant a tree. Besides producing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide and contaminants from the air, trees provide other numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits.

Finally, we’re celebrating Earth Day here at Becker Surf with some cool merch and an even cooler deal: Buy a Billabong Recycler Series Board Short and get $10 off your next purchase of $50 or more. Offer is valid between April 19 – 22, 2013 in stores and online. For online purchases, the discount is automatically applied to your next order in your account. Click here to shop the Billabong Recycler Series Board Short.

What will you do to honor Earth Day? Continue reading →