This week on Wednesday April 22nd we’ll celebrated the 50th Earth Day. The first Earth Day took place on the same day in 1970 when millions of Americans across the country decided to take a stand against the mistreatment of our Planet. If you haven’t before, I’d highly recommend reading about the history of Earth Day. I found it quite interesting.
Now here’s the thing…I know that Climate Change is an extremely controversial topic. I’m aware that not everyone believes that Climate Crisis is a real thing. Earth Day might seem to you like a silly “holiday” much like International Pizza Day, but it’s much more than that. You don’t have to be an environmentalist or passionate about sustainability or whatever to celebrate and appreciate the amazing planet that we are so blessed to inhabit each day.
Because of COVID-19 a lot of the more organized events for Earth Day have been cancelled or postponed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t participate! As I’ve been ‘homeschooling’ Clara and I are taking this week to do a few Earth Centered Activities and learn about what it means to take care of the planet.
Here’s a few ways that you can make a difference this Earth Week:
*There’s are few affiliate links below that could earn me a small (and I mean SMALL) commissions should you make a purchase through them at now extra cost to you.*
1 // Take a walk around your neighborhood or a local trail and bring a trash bag. Pick up any stray trash you see and take it to a trash receptacle. Bonus points if you make it a habit to bring a trash bag with you on hikes or walks to do this on the regular. I was taught that if you pack it in, you pack it out! Never leave your trash when you picnic, hike, or camp! Always make a plan for your trash.
2 // Download one of those plant identifier apps and learn about all the plants around you. Clara and I took a walk today and I told her all about the tulips, daffodils, and irises, but that was all I knew! I’ll get an app for next time so we can appreciate it even more. Maybe it doesn’t help the planet, but if it gets you to connect with it a little more, I think that’s great.
3 // Get educated about the Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reducing Reusing, and Recycling are the foundation on which all other sustainability efforts rest. By reducing the number of things we consume and toss, reusing things throughout their whole life span, and recycling a the last resort, we’re minimizing our overall footprint on the Earth.
4 // Implement some sustainable practices at home. We started composting in the last few weeks, we’re in the process of replacing paper towels with flour sack towels, we switched to a sustainable Dropps laundry detergent (that link saves you $20 on your subscription month!), we have a Nest Thermostat that helps us save energy, we maintain our cars to keep them efficient and running as clean as possible, and we use a filtering water pitcher over bottled. NONE of these things were expense for us to do. In fact, some of these changes have saved us money.
5 // Support companies that have sustainable business practices. Did you know that large corporations contribute 70% of the world’s carbon emission? They are also the largest contributors to waste and water usage. By supporting companies that are zero waste, low waste, and/or contribute to offsetting their carbon footprint, we’re encouraging them and discouraging those that refuse to do the same. Of course that’s not all there is to it, but it helps!
Honestly, I could go on and on…and I probably will throughout the rest of the week.
I hope that you and your families take this time to appreciate our planet and consider some things you can do that make it more beautiful and healthy place to live.