Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on the ways we can live greener lifestyles and care for our planet. But one day out of the year is hardly enough to make a lasting improvement in the world around us. Today, I hope all of you will join me in making environmentalism a daily activity to create a healthier future for ourselves and our children.

The contributions we make may not feel terribly significant, but when we all work together, they have an impact beyond imagination. I remembered just how fulfilling these small actions can be when, in honor of Earth Day this year, I helped pick up litter along South Bay and Bear roads in North Syracuse. With the simple act of collecting trash, we protected our neighborhoods and animals and helped keep our community clean.

When we commit to helping the environment, we must also become more conscious of our consumption. That’s why, after the holiday season, I hosted an electronics recycling event to provide a safe, convenient place for the community to recycle unwanted gadgets. Electronic devices damage our air, water and soil when they’re tossed into landfills, so it’s up to us to make sure we dispose of them conscientiously. Many local residents went out of their way to stop by our recycling event, and we collected more than 225,000 pounds of electronics – more than any other state-sponsored event held to date. It was a great reminder of the enormous benefits that can occur when lots of people pitch in for the planet.

The health of our environment is on my mind in the state Capitol, too. I’ve introduced legislation that would require paint manufacturers in our state to either form or join a nonprofit organization that would work with the Department of Environmental Conservation to collect unused paint from consumers (A.6199-C). The leftover paint would have to be reused, recycled or burned for energy, which would keep it from contaminating our natural resources when thrown away. In addition, I introduced legislation to create a tax credit to encourage homeowners and businesses to use permeable materials when building sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and other hard surfaces so water can flow through to the soil below (A.8383). Choosing porous building materials for these projects will reduce flooding, decrease pollution carried in runoff and improve the health of our waterways.

I hope you will join me in working daily to keep the health of our environment in mind, not just on Earth Day, but every day. Even changes that feel small can have a long-term impact, from picking up litter to collecting and recycling things we no longer need. And any day can be a great day for community cleanup. For help organizing one of your own, contact the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) at 453-2866.

As always, my door is open. If you have any questions or concerns about this or any other community issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me at StirpeA@assembly.state.ny.us or by calling 452-1115.