Plant a tree some other time:
Here's Some MEANINGFUL Earth Day activities

by Leslie Strom

In one office I frequent the staff is on the whole very environmentally conscious. They have a very high percentage of bus commuters and car poolers, they recycle aluminum, paper, glass and plastic, if they can't recycle something they make some kind of art out of it ( especially like the CD ROM holiday wreaths), and they really get into Earth Day. Each year they form teams that clean up the Arboretum, pick up garbage on the lakes, and plant trees. This is laudable, but personally, I think they (and everyone else) misses the point.

Our biggest planetary problems are war, overconsumption, over-population, and industrial pollution. The shrubbery can fend for itself; just ask the blackberry bushes along the railroad tracks.

Here's my short list of REALLY meaningful things you can do to improve the planet:

Support neutering clinics - for human beings. This will help solve the war and overpopulation problems.Get your various tubes tied yourself.

Live without a car. Completely.

Move to the city and learn to love high density living. Leave the wide open spaces wide open.

Lace school lunches with saltpeter. If we play it right, can nip those less-desirable testosterone-based activities in the bud, including overpopulation and armed conflict. Not to mention over-consumption of things like expensive car wheel covers, barcoloungers and gas-powered mowers. (Okay, so write your OWN list, kEN.)

This from one LA resident who calls himself Mulderish:

Ride a motorcycle and sell your car.
Learn to love eating paper with a little salt and salsa.
Hook yourself up to a generator when making love.
Email govt leaders, urging them to invest in wind-powered cars.
Turn off the water when u shave or brush your teeth.
Don't write anyone that doesn't have emale.

This from the anonymous Dave McBee:

On your next walk in the woods, collect leaves to use as toilet paper. Thank your fanny they're not corn-cobs.

Use shop cloths instead of paper towels. (Whatdo you use for when things get really disgusting in the kitchen?" asks Leslie) Don't let things get really disgusting in the kitchen.

Invite the neighbor dog in for "recycling."

Take a bus to the woods when you go to collect leaves. (This is a shameless plug for Backpacking By Bus...)

Add your Earth Day suggestions to ours. And remember... EVERY day is Earth day. Unless it's Tuesday.