In this world of intersecting, interconnected and interdependent ecosystems and habitats, it is easy to see our environment as an extension of our human body. Just as our body is a vessel of cells and impulses working in harmony, this planet is a vessel for countless species of plants and animals – all working in a delicate balance.
As we treat our human body with respect and love, we must treat our extended body, that is, the surrounding environment and the planet as a whole, with that same respect and love.
Today, April 22, is Earth Day (hence the green header on the top of the blog). On this day, we honor this beautiful planet.
But actions speak louder than words. So, I’m excited to announce that breaktheillusion.com is now carbon-neutral. I purchased 4 metric tons of carbon offsets; we will be running green for years to come! If you have a website or blog, I encourage you to do the same.
I am committed to this human experiment, and I know that what I do today will have great impacts on future generations. Buying carbon footprints, purchasing energy efficient light bulbs, turning off the lamps and turning down the air conditioner are just a few things that we can do to ensure a greener tomorrow. Small actions taken by many people add up to big change.
April 22, 2008 at 10:13 am
I am not one to fawn over anyone ; even you David. But, your blog today strikes a chord. You’ve shown amazing awareness for someone so young in your promotion of your favorite charities. And now, in your recognition of Earth Day, have demonstrated your concern for future generations of this planet. Let your petty critics be silenced. Peace.
April 22, 2008 at 10:31 am
I grow my own veggies…
Eat local! More taste…less waste…
April 22, 2008 at 10:41 am
I walk AT LEAST 70.6 kilometers a week. No cars for this guy.
April 22, 2008 at 10:51 am
Happy Earth Day! Thanks for keeping us all thinking, and keeping us all in action on simple ways we can all contribute.
April 22, 2008 at 10:54 am
by create of this website, you waste a lot of semen of other boys out there.
April 22, 2008 at 10:57 am
I volunteer with the Charles River Cleanup Boat here in Boston. We send out a captain and a crew of up to three volunteers four days a week from April to October in a 17′ donated boat with pool skimmers to pick up floating trash along seven miles of the river separating Boston from Cambridge. I developed the website http://www.cleanupboat.org , manage the volunteer calendar and make periodic trips as a crew member. The boat was started in 2003 by one man with a net. You are right, one person can make a difference.
April 22, 2008 at 11:05 am
Kudos Dave!!! It’s awesome to see that you are doing your part and setting a wonderful example.
Walking more and more, riding my bike, driving less and beeing an “off-a-lot” around my aparment here in the mountains of CO.
Hope that you have a wonderful earth day, and for all the blog buddies….everyday is earth day!
Love and best wishes for a superb Tuesday!
Ciao – J
April 22, 2008 at 11:13 am
I got rid of my tellie this weekend…helps too
April 22, 2008 at 11:14 am
I totally agree with you davey ; “small actions” can be effective.
I care for it as surely you do ; among others thing, most of the products i buy are ecological (eco label).
Years ago, my town was one of the first in my country to involve in environmental acts. (free loan of bikes in town center, electric cars….) once a year whe have a day without any cars –(fine situation althought embarrassing too).
bye
April 22, 2008 at 11:19 am
I am 100% FOR looking after the environment, minimising waste and our impact. But i am terribly worried that the whole ‘climate change’ issue is blown MASSIVELY out of proportion. We should worry about feeding the world first. I am a masters level geoscience (earth science) student – and it makes me cringe every time i hear the phrase ‘carbon footprint’. Absolute media-hype bollocks.
April 22, 2008 at 11:35 am
The little things in a way are fab for ego-boosting, but somewhat neutralised when you realise that China has just overtaken the west in pollution. Seems we (the West) have merely exported the growth of our pollution to Asia, where regulation is less strict.
Makes our efforts look rather feeble and very pc …. who doesn’t own a “made in *fill in the blank with random low-wage-country*” product?
April 22, 2008 at 12:19 pm
As always Davey’s sentiments are commendable and certainly worth promoting. I admire the fact that he takes the trouble to do this, to gently say his piece and doesn’t allow apathy or feedback to defeat or stifle him.
On this specific issue I think it would be a mistake if people come to think that consciences can be cleared and problems solved just by throwing cash at so-called carbon offsets.
In the longer term we need to find contentment within ourselves to live simpler lives. Endeavour to live and work local, eat local produce, play local, walk more, maybe watch less, share more (and enjoy that experience because it is surely one of the richest), co-operate and compromise.
I know little about the science of climate change but I do know that there are more of us than ever before. If we really are human and different in some significant way from other animals then we need to demonstrate that by making room for everyone. Perhaps we can do that by living modest, moderate lives without always seeking the full-on “fries and a large shake with that” experience.
(Steps off soapbox and shuffles back into hole…)
April 22, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I like your thinking, Tom, and not just because you and I happen to have the same name. In retrospect, the more hits davey gets on his site the more pollution that is created as a byproduct… kind of ironic.
April 22, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Davey…thank you for the message today..I really appreciate it.
Hey, may I say that the pic today is the sexiest that I have seen of you…
very nice..
have a great day.
April 22, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Oh…that’s cool.
So, I’ve always wondered, what exactly are you doing in that banner of yours that you made into shades of green for this lovely day?
April 22, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I am quite a weirdo around my friends…
I don’t like to use air-conditioner. Eventhough in Malaysia, i’m still feel great when i’m taking a nap without air-conditioner. Sometimes even using fan…
So…does it make sense to earth day…
Erm…I think so…
At least I save some electricity and reduce the bad things come out from the air-conditioner…
*Davey is truely a universe lover by bringing action…so charming…XD
April 22, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I walk to work, use a canvas bag for groceries, Grow herbs, trees and other plants from seeds, Plant trees ive cultivated on road sides.
April 22, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Although my dog and I walk in a local nature reserve [we did 5 miles early this morning] that is very natural and beautiful, from the top of a hill near by I can see suburbia crawling across the landscape headed in our direction to eliminate me and my dog and my lifestyle. many areas are made deserts before building condos and housing projects, and lights are installed never to see the stars again, gas exhaust emissions make me cough and bring tears to my eyes, and every thing is for sale and has its price in this city! I have been to the top of the hill and I have seen the hords of civilization headed my way to eliminate me and my dog and my lifestyle!
We must adapt if we are to survive at all.
Each day they get closer and each day a way of life disappears that can never be regained! so sad! I plead: “leave us alone!” and society and the world says: “We can’t do that, what are you crazy!” and a tear wells up in the corner of my eye and I admit: yeah, I am crazy! and my dog looks at me as if to say, you need domestication, boy, such foolish ideas, you don’t know what’s good for you! Let the suburbanites show you how to live!
They are fast approaching daily to eliminate me and my dog and my lifestyle! One day I will be just a story to spook young suburbanites gathered in a cul-de-sac, me, my dog and a lost lifestyle!
April 22, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Hello Dave,
Going green is very important. Here is a helpful tip if you want to lower your air conditioning bill this summer.
I purchased “Heat Control Reflecting Window Film” You just put it on your windows (I installed it myself) and it reflects up to 75% of the heat that would otherwise shine in. It also retains winter heat and all without blocking your view. I put it in the windows last summer and noticed a big difference, not only in the glare but how cool the rooms felt.
They also block 99% of UV rays. And does’t block your view.
Just one of the many things I had done, but thought you might be interested, since you have such large windows in your condo.
Craig from Newfoundland.
April 22, 2008 at 7:24 pm
The single most effective thing a person can do to have a beneficial impact on the environment is to adopt a vegan diet. The damage done to our planet by the animal agriculture industry alone is beyond comprehension. And if we dedicated all the land used to raise these animals to crops, we would have more than enough food to feed the entire population of the planet. Two birds, one stone. Go veg, guys.
April 22, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I agree with Alan. I am not one to follow the hype of “global warming” but I am one for doing what you can to make the World a better place. I started recycling a couple of weeks ago and I am dumb-founded of all that I use to through away that can be recycled. In my celebratory way, I changed all the bulbs in my condo that are used on a daily basis to the energy efficient CFL bulbs. This was more on the part of I want a cheaper electric bill (I am cheap)
April 23, 2008 at 12:26 am
Small steps is always a start. We do not realize how much that makes a difference. Happy Earth Day!
April 23, 2008 at 12:53 am
Last week i heard that the energy efficient light bulbs are supposed to be handed in as chemical waste here in Holland instead of just throwing them in the bin due to the gasses inside the things.
I guess looking at energy efficiency alone is not sufficient,we need to look at the coast of production as well. More of these light bulbs means more chemical plants somewhere (probably a country with little regulation) and more mining. Same goes for electrical cars (think of all the chemicals and heavy metalsin batteries) or air conditioning (who needs air conditioning anyway? a sheer luxury….)
So maybe one just needs a normallight bulb,but use a lower wattage (is that an english word?) and switch them off sooner when the light is not needed.In that way at least it’s YOU paying the price instead of some far away region having to cope with the production burdens and pollution.
Just a thought….
April 23, 2008 at 6:56 am
Dave don’t break that bulb otherwise you’ll be a toxic waste site.
The selling of carbon offsets is a scam. There needs to be a Congressioinal investigation into where exactly the money is going. Selling carbon offsets is kinda like selling the Brooklyn Bridge!
April 23, 2008 at 10:29 am
First of all – there are numerous proofs that human industrial activity (especially carbon dioxide emissions) contributes to global warming. However there is a hypothesis that global warming is a natural fluctuation caused by an increased solar activity. Perhaps our contribution and influence on global temperature is an illusion.
Secondly I’m happy to see that some US citizens are eager to introduce some pro-environmental “habits” to contradict their country’s enormous energy consumption. USA is by far the most energy consuming, CO2 emitting country. Instead of investing and developing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy, US government rather chooses to wages insanely expensive wars over oil – which will eventually be exhausted. Now how much would USA benefit from investing all those war-related money into renewables? Not to mention the decreased dependancy on what happens in the Middle East.
April 23, 2008 at 10:38 am
Oh I just forgot to mention.
USA CO2 emission in 2004 nearly equals the COMBINED emissions of Russia, Japan, Germany, Canada, China, India, United Kingdom.
Your small contribution to reducing the CO2 emissions means nothing as long as US government doesn’t give a damn about nation-wide CO2 reduction.
April 25, 2008 at 3:04 pm
So this is totally random, but I’m really glad that I’m not the only person in the world that sits around in my underwear and a nice T-shirt. I’m jealous, though, that you have an awesome one that says “nature is cool.” i, however, have been inspired to get my very own “I believe…” shirt. Thanks for that Davey Wavey.
May 2, 2008 at 12:41 am
hey really enjoy your website just wonted to say that im from the land down under a city called Brisbane Auss so when you or if you do end up comeing over would really like to show you around this is my msn weazel_man@hotmail.com
hope to talk soon