The other day I finally went on a long-overdue walk in my neighborhood. The sun was shining, the birds chirping, I passed two fishermen in their boat… I took a deep breath and was really enjoying myself, thinking that I need to do this more often, when a big diesel truck drove into the street I was going to walk up.

By the time I passed the truck, the driver had gotten out and was fixing something on a car next to it, but the big truck was still running. I kept walking for about ten minutes and finally turned around to walk back home. The loud diesel truck was still running. I looked for the driver but he was nowhere to be seen.

My blood started boiling.

Not only was this guy not showing any consideration to the people living on that street who had to listen to this annoying diesel truck noise, I was outraged that he was needlessly polluting the air.

He’s lucky he wasn’t around or I would have given him a piece of my mind. I don’t have any tolerance for people who pollute the earth unnecessarily, especially now as a mother.

We all do things that pollute the environment. We create trash, drive cars, or fly in airplanes. But it’s another thing to pollute unnecessarily.

Like throwing trash out of the car window. Who does that?! Apparently a lot of people, judging by the wrappers, cups, and plastic bags I regularly see on the side of the roads.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people letting their cars run — I just don’t get it.

Come on, turn off your car to get the mail or to see Aunt Bernice for a second. Aunt Bernice starts talking your ear off and you’ll forget all about that running car in the driveway.

Warming your car up in the winter — is that an American phenomenon? I grew up in Europe and have never witnesses someone there warming up their car in the driveway.

Sure, sometimes motherhood messes with the best intentions to be green. Just the other day I had to drive around an extra few miles in an attempt to get my son to sleep in the car. I had to go to an important meeting, and I would’ve had to chase my inquisitive and rambunctious little boy around an unsafe construction site. I had to weigh what was more important — air quality or my child’s safety.

He did fall asleep and I was able to hold the meeting next to the car while my son napped. I felt guilty, but I balance out that air pollution by regularly planning my days so I don’t have to make two car trips when I can make just one, and I walk small distances instead of taking the car. Little things like that do add up.

Earth Day is every day.

It might have been futile to talk some sense into the diesel truck guy, but I can make a difference in my own life, every day.

As a parent I have the responsibility to be a good example and to teach my child about recycling, reusing, and conserving precious resources, and not polluting.

I grew up in a house where you separated trash into seven different bins: clear, green, and brown glass; paper; aluminum; compost; and non-recyclable trash. My parents set a great example, and I just naturally am passing on the message of green living to my son.

My son will have to be fine with a blanket over him in the winter — I will not warm up the car in the driveway. Sorry, little man. I’ll be very proud if he’ll continue the legacy someday and teach his children to be kind to people, animals, and the environment.

{I submitted this post to Moms Rising‘s blog carnival to celebrate clean air. If we don’t have clean air, we are endangering our childrens’ and our earth’s health. That’s nothing to take lightly, and I implore everybody to do what you can — no matter how little — to not pollute our air.}

This article originally appeared in Dagmar's Momsense.