This coming week’s Earth Day gives us good reason to remind readers to be just a little green.

Designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment, Earth Day was founded by U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year.

What does it mean for us?

We could go green by organizing an effort to pick up litter in our community, as Councilman Kennith Mount and members of the Community Enhancement Committee are asking us to do the week of April 28- May 3, or as the Covington County PALS has asked us to do all month.

• Or we could each take small steps each day, like:

• Open the blinds instead of using lamps.

• Receiving and paying bills online.

• Using a reusable water bottle and bringing a mug to the coffee shop.

• Shopping at a farmer’s market and buying locally-grown food.

• Using those green recycling bags provided by the city of Andalusia. There aren’t many places where recycling is as easy as taking a bag to the street once a week. The city picks up recycled paper, plastic and aluminum. If you aren’t using those green bags, call the city’s recycling center at 222-0862 to get a green bag today,

• Recycling your cooking oil. It keeps our sewerage drains clean and helps both the City of Andalusia and Shaw Industries, both of whom are recycling oil as fuel.

• Taking a reusable tote with you to the grocery store and leaving the plastic bags there.

It is estimated that about 100,000 seals, turtles, whales and other marine animals are harmed or killed by plastic bags each year worldwide. Plastic bags make up more than 10 percent of washed-up debris polluting the U.S. coastline.

• Recycling the plastic bags you do used. In Andalusia, that’s as simple as putting them in your green recycling bag that’s picked up at the curb each week.

• Taking public transportation or walking. Walking to nearby destinations rather than cranking your automobile will make you and the earth healthier.

• Using rechargeable batteries.

• Saving water by decreasing your shower time, and brushing your teeth with the water off.

If each of us implanted these steps, we could make a difference in our world. Make a resolution to be green on Earth Day.