Earth Day

By Allison Berman
April 21, 2009

For those of you who don't have publicists pitching you stories, you might not know tomorrow is Earth Day. I am not the most environmentally aware person, but even I have found some easy ways to "go green" personally and professionally.

I used to recycle paper and ink cartridges at work, and newspapers and soda bottles at home, but other than that I didn't really think much about the world around me, and then I got pregnant.

Everything I was eating went straight to my baby. I was far from perfect, having a glass of wine now and again...and sushi...and brie, BUT, I did start washing waxes and pesticides from my produce. By the time my daughter was born, choosing our food carefully became a way of life.

When I moved to Orange County I was thrilled to find the plethora of local farms and farmers markets. I started buying whatever food I could locally. I didn't pick my recipes anymore by what I found on TV or in a magazine. I found recipes on TV and in magazines by what I picked at the wonderful markets. Buying locally I reduced my carbon footprint because my food was barely trucked and since the local farmers waited until the food was ripe to pick it, it tasted a lot better too.

My "green awareness" was further heightened when I discovered food wasn't the only thing my small daughter put in her mouth. I vividly remember a music class when my daughter put bells into her mouth that seconds earlier had been in the mouth of another child. I was disgusted both because I am somewhat phobic of germs and because who knew what she was ingesting. The teacher frequently cleaned the toys, but which was worse the plastic she was consuming or the cleaner's residue?

Right around that time I started my own business using people friendly low VOC paints and the rest of my green business practices grew from that. I wanted to support the local economy, and using local suppliers I limited the gasoline emissions required to ship me unfinished pieces. I hoard cardboard boxes and use them to ship my products, whenever I can, hopefully saving some trees.

Just when I think I am "greened out" my daughter continues to inspire me to do more.

When she asked me about the "beautiful" bags a fellow customer was carrying at the supermarket, I explained the plastic is not biodegradable and somewhat begrudgingly made the switch to cloth bags. I am now a walking billboard for businesses like Jellybean Promotions, and I discovered it's not the inconvenience I thought it would be. In fact, it actually makes my life easier. The bags don't break and I can carry them over my shoulders bringing more into the house in fewer trips.

Tomorrow why not celebrate Earth Day by taking a minute to appreciate our beautiful planet. And just maybe you will think of something you can easily change either at home or professionally to be kinder to the environment, so the earth will be just as beautiful for our kids.

Allison Berman, an artist and mother of two, handpaints custom home accessories for interior designers and private customers. She works out of her home studio in Warwick, NY. See her collection at www.withlovealib.com. She can be reached at ali@withlovealib.com. Her column appears Tuesdays.