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Show the Earth Some Love — It's Earth Day!
Posted On: April 21, 2018
While we haven’t quite pinpointed Earth’s actual birthday, Earth Day is the best time to show our nearly 2 million square mile home how much we appreciate it—and spread the word on how to save it!
How Earth Day Started
Back in 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson was looking for a way to spread earth-love awareness. A keen environmentalist, he decided a nationwide “teach-in” would be just the thing.
To spread the word, Senator Nelson contacted every governor in the country, the Mayors of each major city, and sent articles to magazines he knew that college and grade-school students would read.
On April 22, over 20 million Americans gathered in streets, schools, parks, and playgrounds to support the first official Earth Day. The environmental movement had hit fever pitch, and it hasn’t slowed since. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and Clean Air Act all came about as a result of that first Earth Day.
What is the Purpose of Earth Day?
Earth Day is all about protecting our beautiful planet and helping raise awareness of the environment’s needs. As human residents of the earth, we have a profound impact on the air, land, and sea, and Earth Day helps remind us how important being good earth-stewards is.
How You Can Celebrate Earth Day
Looking to do something special for Planet Earth on its special day? While being respectful of the environment is important year-round, here are 10 ways you can go green and make a difference on Earth Day:
1. Join an event! From festivals and celebrations to eco events and 5ks, thousands of cities and towns all over the country are hosting special activities to support and celebrate Earth Day; find one near you by visiting the official Earth Day website!
2. Donate time or money to an environmental organization or charity. Whether their focus is parks, trees, gardens, waters, or animals, choose a conservation organization to give your time, talents, and/or donations to—you could even host a fundraising event or organize a group volunteer project on their behalf.
3. Recycle your electronics. Also known as e-waste, your old computers, phones,and other electronics contain toxic chemicals that can leach into soils and water—so gather yours up and take them to your local recycling center or Earth Day community recycling event. Don’t forget to bring your dead batteries too!
4. Host a green party! Planet Earth is worth celebrating, so host a “green” event and raise environmental awareness the fun way! Serve locally sourced organic foods, use recycled paper goods, and plant tree seedlings that each guest can take home and cultivate.
5. Green your A to B! Preserve some fossil fuels and prevent pollution—carpool with friends, take public transportation, or walk, cycle, or skateboard to get around; some cities even have car or bike-sharing programs.
6. Plant a garden! Whether your yard is big or non-existent (strawberries, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and even pineapples can be grown in pots) cultivating your own organic food saves natural resources, prevents exposure to toxic pesticides, and helps your wallet out too!
7. Give your home a green makeover. Save natural resources—and money—by making a few green changes to your home. Fixing leaky faucets, adjusting the thermostat, taking quicker showers, creating a compost pile, unplugging electronics, and opting for that energy efficient toilet all help the environment.
8. Get educated—then spread the word! Bone-up on your earth knowledge! Take some time to learn about local landscapes and plant and animal life. How can you make a positive impact? Learn how, then teach others!
9. Swap plastic for canvas. Did you know plastic grocery bags never really decompose? It can take them 10 to 100 years to disintegrate into granules that pollute land and water. Opt for reusable shopping bags made of recycled material instead.
10. Forego bottled water. It’s convenient, but 90% of the billions of water bottles sold get trashed, not recycled. Buy a reusable water bottle instead—some even have built-in filters. Keep a few around so when one is dirty, you can swap it for a clean one.
There are at least a hundred more ways you can go green and give back to the earth. Our Green and Clean energy products are a great way to start! Commit to a greener attitude in honor of Earth Day and show our planet the love it deserves!