Earth Day is a chance for us to celebrate our planet and learn about ways to protect it.
Why Is It Celebrated?
Earth Day presents another opportunity to honour and protect our precious planet. From picking up trash to getting involved politically, there are a million ways to take action against pollution and animal endangerment, increase knowledge and understanding, and protect the resources that surround us. As stewards of the land, it’s our burden to share, and Earth Day is a catalyst to ignite action.
Simple Things to Do to Celebrate Earth Day
There are so many little things you can do to celebrate and help save the Earth. They may be only small steps, but every little helps when it comes to saving the planet from problems such as plastic pollution, climate change and deforestation. Here are a few things you can do to do your part in saving the planet on Earth Day.
1) Plant something: There's no time like Earth Day to make your world a little greener, literally. Planting trees, bushes, and any type of plant life will not only beautify your outdoor space, but it will also help absorb some of the CO2 from the air. Another option is to plant your own fruits and veggies, which will benefit your health and reduce the amount of fossil fuel emissions by not having to transport the food to stores.
2) Buy Reusable Bags: Single-use plastic carrier bags are no friend to the environment, clogging up landfill sites and posing great danger to marine wildlife. Not to mention, they take up lots of space in landfills and cause major problems for marine wildlife. However, you can help further by buying a bag for life so that you will never have to buy a plastic carrier bag again.
3) Use a Refillable water bottle: Just because you’re tossing your plastic water bottles into the recycling bin doesn’t mean they're not hurting the environment. If you don’t already own one, then go out and buy a bottle that you can take with you everywhere you go.
4) Walk or Ride a Bike: Vehicles use fuels that contribute to the increase in air pollution. If you need to be somewhere, it is preferable to use your bike as an alternative form of transportation. Choose to ride your bike instead of using a vehicle that burns fuel, which adds up to carbon emissions that pollute the air. If you are in a situation where you can actually walk, ride your bike, or carpool in order to get from place to place, then it may be time for you to consider that. You'll save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and get more exercise.
5) Conserve Water!: 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, but only 3% of that is freshwater, and of that 3% most of it is locked under the Earth’s surface, in ice, atmosphere, and soil. This leaves only .007% of the Earth’s water available to fuel and feed its 6.8 billion people. As population rates climb this small percentage of water has to serve more people. On top of this, water is becoming more scarce due to climate change fueled droughts meaning there will be even less water to share among us.
6) Clean up your Neighborhood: One of the most direct ways to make a positive impact on Earth Day is to get out there and clean up your neighborhood. Walking around your neighbourhood or community and picking up any litter is one of the best ways to connect with the Earth. Going on a walk with a trash bag and helping to clean up any plastic that you find is a great way to help get rid of some of the plastic waste in your area, and going on a beach clean is a great and fun way to do this.
7) Unplug your devices for the day: A large majority of the energy that powers our homes comes directly from fossil fuels. If we unplug our electronic devices, we will reduce our home’s energy demand and carbon emission. This Earth Day, spend time outdoors enjoying nature over using screens.
8) Light Your Home with Eco-Friendly Bulbs: On average, 40% of global CO2 emissions are emitted from electricity generation. Although compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and LED bulbs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they will save money in the long run, last longer, and use up to 90% less energy. This change can make a big difference for the environment without disrupting your life.
9) Switch all of your bills to paperless: Did you know that switching all of your bills to e-bills and online invoices can save millions of trees every single year? Rather than having your monthly bills sent by post, switch to online statements to reduce paper waste. It’s really easy to do, and you'll get an email when your bills are available online to view. Decreasing the demand for paper will hopefully decrease the rate of deforestation.
10) Start a compost heap in your garden: Food wastage is a massive problem all around the world. Starting a compost heap in your garden will help you get rid of kitchen and garden waste efficiently. Composting at home releases much less methane gas than a landfill and provides you with free fertiliser for your plants.
11) Move to a Sustainable Lifestyle: By consuming less, recycling and upcycling goods, minimising waste, converting to organic, locally sourced produce, using eco-friendly cleaning agents, and avoiding quick fashion, we may become more responsible as inhabitants of this world. The consequences of these decisions may not be immediately evident, but they can have long-term and irreversible consequences. Let us make a tiny change today that will have a great influence tomorrow.
12) Donate to environmental causes: For those that are unable to leave the house because of COVID or simply don’t have time, donating to an environmental cause can be the perfect way to lend your support to Earth Day. You can donate directly to the official Earth Day organization or find a related cause that you are most passionate about.
13) Spread the word! : The more people who know about Earth Day and your efforts to help reduce environmental damage, the faster important issues such as plastic pollution will be resolved.
It's great to do something nice for the environment on Earth Day. What's even better is to keep it going after Earth Day and beyond.