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An Earth Day Message from Kevin Wall

For Earth Day, we've created a list of some simple ideas we can all commit to - pick at least one you haven't tried yet and start tomorrow as part of the growing community of people making a difference. We're asking everyone who works here to do the same. Click here for a list of simple changes you can make. Tell us what you're going to do!

Everyone here at Live Earth and Control Room (with whom we share offices) has made some changes in our daily lives and work habits because of our work with Live Earth - I know I'm much greener now than I was a year ago… and the changes have been easier than I expected.

Here's a quote from one of the articles in the New York Times' special green magazine issue yesterday - titled "Why Bother?"  It's about whether the small changes that we can make as individuals matter - even though the problem will require the will of governments around the world and multinational corporations to change their basic practices.  We're asking you to do one thing to make your life greener, starting tomorrow.  So why should you bother, anyway?

"If you do bother, you will set an example for other people. If enough other people bother, each one influencing yet another in a chain reaction of behavioral change, markets for all manner of green products and alternative technologies will prosper and expand. (Just look at the market for hybrid cars.) Consciousness will be raised, perhaps even changed: new moral imperatives and new taboos might take root in the culture. Driving an S.U.V. or eating a 24-ounce steak or illuminating your McMansion like an airport runway at night might come to be regarded as outrages to human conscience. Not having things might become cooler than having them. And those who did change the way they live would acquire the moral standing to demand changes in behavior from others — from other people, other corporations, even other countries." 

Here are some simple ideas we can all commit to - pick at least one you haven't tried yet and start Earth Day tomorrow as part of the growing community of people making a difference. We're asking everyone who works here to do the same.

 - Reduce the amount of meat (especially beef) in your diet - make one or more days each week vegetarian.  (How about Tuesdays?)

 - Eliminate your junk mail with http://greendimes.com/

- Make a call for the climate:  call Capitol Hill (our Capitol Hill Operators are really helpful, don’t be afraid to call and ask for your Member of Congress!!) 202.224.3121 and ask for leadership from our elected representatives - get ideas on what to say here: http://www.liveearth.org/?p=366

 - Travel greener - when on the road for work or pleasure, seek out "green" hotels, rent hybrids, and use the train or public transportation whenever possible.

 - Buy "green" cleaning, home, and beauty products whenever possible.

- Make a commitment that your next car will be more fuel-efficient that your current one - keep your tires inflated and your engine tuned to maximize fuel efficiency.  And drive slower…

- Here's the big one:  think about carpooling.  Figure out who at the office lives near you, and figure out if there are times you could drive to work together.  You don't have to do it all the time….  It's harder to carpool here in LA than in many other places… but look for opportunities to do it.  It might be easier than you think.  We've started to see more carpooling among our staff, and people are enjoying it.

- Turn off appliances and computers when you're not using them, and unplug your chargers - use a power strip to cut "phantom" power loss.

- Buy green - think about a product's environmental impact and look for the most efficient option - an "Energy Star" fridge, an organic cotton t-shirt, a previously owned couch from www.craigslist.org.

- And last but not least…change your light bulbs!  Although I hope you’ve already done that.

Thanks for everything you did last year to make Live Earth a success.  And thanks in advance for your help with our fall concerts and ongoing programs…Happy Earth Day!

Hi, I'm so happy to see

Hi,

I'm so happy to see people finally waking up to the realities of our impact on Earth and ourselves. But I can't help but notice that there is a lack of information on the impact of factory farming.

I'm not going to sit here and preach the virtues of the vegetarian and vegan diet. But I do hope you'll check out these links and then continue the research on your own and spread the news.

http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html

http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/

http://www.organicconsumers.org/btc/gasfood112105.cfm

http://veg.ca/content/view/136/111/

Thank you for your time.