The Earth Charter...bold words and real actions

My newest "easy thing you can do to help the earth" tip comes from the Earth Charter, who's offering a recycling service for inkjet and laser cartridges and for cell phones. Visit the U.S. site at http://www.eccommunities.org/ECCEcoServices.html for instructions, and to learn more about their recycling initiatives.

If you're not familiar with the Earth Charter, it's a set of principles for creating a sustainable planet, with values and ideals covering issues from environmental conservation to human rights. At first reading, it looks like a broadly sweeping - some might say overly idealistic - set of precepts with no concrete or measurable goals, no "how-to" for nations and individuals to follow to conserve their ecosystems and achieve social equality. But to my mind, the real value of the document is just that - outlining a set of ideals to inform our decision making (about what we buy, what we drive, how we live) on a fundamental level. Because I tend to think that if individuals and society as a whole in this country could embrace the Earth Charter guidelines (rather than the prevailing ideology of consumerism), we'd begin making practical business and consumer choices based on those ideals that would be healthier for all of us. Mitigating the effects of global climate change or preserving the last vestiges of rain forest requires a fundamental shift in thinking from all of us about how we live on this planet, and that's what the Earth Charter offers.

So check out the Earth Charter web site at http://www.earthcharter.org/, read about the charter and the amazing people who drafted it, and find out how the organization is turning ideals into actions. Better yet, join the Earth Charter and embrace a new way of (idealistic) living!