Earth Day has been celebrated since 1969, before it was officially a nationally recognized day. It began as a call to action from Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin and used young activists to spread the message. These activists organized “teach-ins,” where they could help educate people about the dangers of pollution.
In 1970, the EPA was created by President Nixon, in part due to the efforts of Earth Day activists.
This cause brought together both Democrats and Republicans, both sharing concerns for the future if changes were not made.
So, what can we do to celebrate Earth Day now? Here is a list of options ranging from nature appreciation to actions you can take to help combat the climate crisis.
Trees are one of the best ways to help ensure our air is clean and our ecosystem remains intact. However, you can’t just plant a tree anywhere. You need to own the land or have permission from the landowner. Check out parks or community centers near you to see if they are hosting any planting events.
If you can’t physically plant a tree, you can always support a business that does. Below are a few places where you can donate in order to help them plant more trees.
https://www.nationalforest.org/get-involved/plant-a-tree
Unlike tree planting, you don’t need permission to go to a park or other public place to pick up litter. Just grab a bag and a handy trash picker if you want and get going! You can also do this in the area around your office, apartment, or neighborhood streets.
Everything is better in a group, so call up your friends and see if they’d like to help. Just remember to wear bright colors if you are picking up near a road.
At the end of the day, no one has the power to change our climate crisis on their own. We need to assistance of our government in order to put regulations in place. Did you know that 100 companies are responsible for 71% of all global emissions? No matter how many reusable bags and straws we use, or our diligence with recycling, we can’t save the planet if these companies continue on this path.
Here is a list of state representatives and their contact information.
Spend some time out in nature if the weather permits. Take a walk, eat lunch outside, read a book under a tree.
Throwing away food waste causes methane emissions in landfills. Some food waste is inevitable, but there are ways to cut back on it. One way is to learn about composting if you have a garden. You can turn those forgotten vegetables in the back of your fridge into nutrient-dense soil for your plants.
Another way to cut back on food waste is just to take stock of how much you really consume during a week. Are you often throwing out kale at the end of the week? Maybe only buy one bunch instead of two at the store. You can also make it a game to find new recipes to clean out your fridge at the end of the week by creating salads, smoothies, pasta dishes, or soups. When all else fails, freeze your vegetables, and use it to create stock.
While we work on getting our representatives to take action, we can still do our part. Switching to reusable products, being mindful of how much water and energy we use, carpooling or combining errands, paper over plastic bags, all these can help make a difference.
There are many great places to donate to that can help
https://www.earthday.org/donate/
Or purchase something from 4Ocean, a company created by two surfers who created a company to clean up the ocean and to repurpose the materials they find into jewelry.
There have been many reports in the last few years stating that the meat industry is hard on the environment.
According to this article, half of all habitable land is dedicated to agriculture and three quarters of that goes towards livestock. It goes on to say that in feeding an increasing global population, using more space for vegetables makes the most sense as vegetables need no processing and minimal packaging to be used.
Experiment with one day a week without meat, if you’re interested, and see how you find it. If you absolutely can’t imagine life without meat, then perhaps you can find a local farm that will supply directly to customers, cutting down the shipping and packaging costs of the meat.
Visiting a place with diverse examples of flora and fauna can be an excellent way to celebrate the day.
Most of the 100 companies responsible for 71% of emissions are in the fossil fuel and coal industries. While not exactly surprising, it does shine light on the importance of innovation in the transportation sector. While we can’t all go out and get hybrid cars, there are some things we can do. The first would be to travel wisely. Find ways to drive less, maybe walking or biking when possible. Consider the goods and food you buy and how far it needs to be shipped to get to you. If you invest in fossil Fuel or coal-based stock, consider putting those investments into companies that have pledged to help with environmental concerns.
Earth Day can be a great excuse to get out and enjoy nature. But it can also be used as a day to learn what steps you can take to ensure your voice is heard. As individuals, the climate crisis may seem impossible to fix, but together, with the help of our government, we can make a difference.
