In some ways I'm relieved. Earth Day has once again come and gone, the Global Warming Tree has been put back in its box, and the carbon dioxide has been safely sequestered until next year.

After spending all that time composting with family and friends, a little peace and quiet is just what the doctor ordered.

As we all know, the Earth Day season begins with Earth Hour, that magical hour when everyone turns on their televisions to watch live CBC coverage of some people turning off their lights.

It's the time of year when we gather together to remember the true meaning of Earth. It's a time to recognize that without Earth we would just be floating around in space. In fact without Earth we wouldn't have anywhere to bury our garbage.

My mind recycles back through the years, and memories of Earth Days past flood my mind.

There are the childhood memories of running down the stairs on Earth Day morning and being overjoyed at the sight of nothing under the tree except a pine cone, which I was darn happy to have.

Anyway, for me every day is Earth Day. I happen to like the Earth so much that I'm capitalizing the word Earth in this column. The Earth is where it's all happening. It's where I have chosen to live.

There is a gravity about the Earth that draws me to it.

But make no mistake, we are not alone on Earth, and I'm not just talking about the intergalactic little green men that Justin Trudeau speculated have visited Earth before. I'm talking about Earth's seductively pretty friend: Nature.

According to my research team at Wikipedia, Earth Day is a lot about celebrating the gift of nature, and that of course is natural. So, if you want to honour nature and the spirit of the Earth Day season what do you do? As one of Canada's leading environmentalists, here is my practical guide.

First, take the environment seriously but take yourself lightly. Nothing turns people off the issue of the environment more quickly than some of the dour and angry people associated with it. But enough about the NDP.

Second, cooperate with business. Like the public in general, as businesspeople become more aware of the issues they have cleaned up their act a lot and actually want to do more. Often they develop and then sell new technologies to do the cleaning up. But business wants to work with reasonable people who understand things like the need for companies to make money so people can have jobs.

Third, do the stuff you understand and like. If you are tired of moralizing do-gooders harassing you about the size of your carbon footprint, then go build a bluebird house and then take the scrap lumber and threaten to burn it in your backyard unless they leave you alone.

Finally join cool and practical groups like the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited who educate the public, and preserve and enhance habitat.

If you follow this practical guide you will be a friend to nature and the Earth, with the side benefit that your friends won't hide from you when you come to the door.

Happy Earth Day to you!