I just watched the sunrise and listened to birdsong grow from a few impatient chirps into a cacophony. The street noises, too, have grown. And I'm stiffly making my way toward the day's obligations.

It's Earth Day. And while it's important to keep in mind all the details that could make our actions more green, more environmentally-aware and more dedicated to the gentle use of natural resources, I think the most salient point is to remember what it is we are trying to save.

This year it's a Tuesday so most of us will be at work (I'll be indoors on what looks like an all-day errand). But I urge everyone to take a few minutes to step outside. Find some greenery, doesn't matter if it's plants in some manmade pots, head out and find something alive and growing. Sit under the open sky for a few minutes. Close your eyes and breath.

Know this: on this ball of mud and water, spinning madly around a great big nuclear furnace, you're just a moderate-sized creature totally dependent on the Earth for your continued existence. In acting on behalf of the Earth, each of us acts on our own behalf. It's not just for hypothetical future generations. It's not just for some personification of the earth (remember, Nature is a Mother). It's because you and I live here, dammit.

So. Buy products made of recycleable material and then toss them into the recycle bin. Reuse products that are still useful. Refuse to buy products from producers that use wasteful or harmful techniques. And reduce your use of products that aren't environmentally-friendly.

It'll help you breath easier every day.