Find a way to celebrate Earth Day

Back when Earth Day was born, in 1970, the only government participation was Senator Gaylord Nelson's declaration of its existence. In 2009, it is recognized world-wide as a day focused on the environment, with its own, official U.S. Government participation and a year-round organizing source, Earth Day Network.  You can even watch videos on EarthDay television now. Of course, there have been plenty of environmentalists throughout history.

You may not think much about the environment. Certainly, the New York Times magazine has an explanation for why it may not appear on our list of priorities. On the other hand, in case you haven't noticed any dramatic changes in your area, you might want to read this story from the Los Angeles Times, on what's happening in Australia these days.

Never fear - if that wants you make to run and hide for cover, we have our own page of ideas for how you can be pro-active about reducing waste and apply conservation ideas to your office. Take a look at all the options, from our energy-efficient presentation template, to information on how to recycle those CFL bulbs, choose an energy-efficient computer and reduce junk mail.  And when you have collected all your ideas, you can easily organize them with our new OneNote green living notebook.

Your changes don't have to be as significant as those made here at Microsoft, where environmental action grew from the ground up. (The employee-driven movement to become more green resulted in dramatic changes in our facilities that have significantly reduced waste and cost.) But even small changes can make a significant difference in your overall costs and environmental impact.

When you're through exploring all these ideas, check out the latest in green living from MSN. If it all gets to be too much, you can always cheer yourself up with some fresh flowers and, yes, still be green. Happy Earth Day!

--Nancy