Our Opinion: Remember the early pioneers on Earth Day

We think that reusing, reducing and recycling materials would have appealed to the early pioneers.

We know that the early farmers and ranchers were conservationists. They didn't have a choice, they had to live off the land.

They had to make what they needed, make do with what they had or do without.

People weren't trucking in food and goods for purchase. If it didn't grow in the Valley, it was too expensive.

Today is Earth Day, but that doesn't mean it has to be about global warming and offshore drilling.

It can be about saving a few bucks on gasoline or food. It can be about caring where that food comes from, and being able to determine whether it is safe for you and your family.

Liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, gated community or apartment dweller, there are some things that affect us all. We all have to breathe the air, drink the water and eat the food that's available to us. We all have to find ways of disposing of our waste without having it pile up next to the back door.

These are things that cross all boundaries. One of the reasons that it's important to recognize Earth Day is to remind us of that.

You don't have to combine car trips or shop for locally grown produce because it reduces your carbon footprint. Do it because gas is $4 a gallon and you're never quite sure where that lettuce has been.

When you think about Earth Day, today, remember those early settlers and what they had to survive with.