Recognized as the planet’s largest civic event, this Earth Day is different than every other in its 50-year history. While we may be sheltered-in-place due to the current public health crisis, we can still do our part in preserving our natural environment and practicing lifestyle changes to help protect our planet. Our actions affect each other and our natural environment. We invite you to virtually celebrate Earth Week and continue to exercise a conscious effort on sustainability and conservation to make an impact on our planet.
The theme for Earth Day 2020 is Climate Action. According to the Earth Day Organization, Climate Change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.
People are driving less, gas consumption is down, and many industries are at a pause, which may undoubtedly have an impact on climate change, but that is not enough. As stewards of our environment, we urge you to continue practices of sustainability and conservation far beyond Earth Day.
One of Valley Water’s sustainability efforts that residents may continue to see this spring is the use of goats to perform weed abatement as an alternative to herbicide application and mowing. As stewards of streams and reservoirs, Valley Water manages streamside land to preserve existing riparian vegetation, which provides habitat for wildlife, filters run-off to protect water quality and stabilizes banks against erosion. Read more about that effort here.
Make conservation a part of your everyday. Through the resources available at Valley Water, you can request water-saving equipment such as kitchen and bathroom aerators or shower timers. If you have a lawn, look into our resources and rebates to help replace your water thirsty lawn into an ‘evolved yard’ using drought-tolerant plants, which use less water and are native to California. An ‘evolved yard’ delivers a functional, attractive, and easily maintained landscape, which not only will help to save you money but will help make conservation a way of life. Learn more about our conservation programs here.
And one last bit and friendly reminder, toilets are not trashcans. Please properly dispose of flushable wipes. These products do not break down easily and are not meant to be flushed. Though they may be labeled “flushable”, they are destructive to your sewer lines and ultimately costly for homeowners and landlords.
Let this Earth Day be a reminder that the action of today can change our tomorrow. We can all do our part by “fighting together for a better tomorrow.”
Valley Water News 