Earth Day takes place every year on April 22. It is an annual event that aims to support environmental protection and raise awareness about pollution. Earth Day came to be significant due to the Modern Environmental Movement in 1970. This movement was initiated because of the health consequences of pollution in Europe and the United States during the Industrial Revolution. Overall, this movement sought to spread awareness about toxic substances in the environment, climate change, and global warming.
Earth Day should be celebrated every day. There are numerous things we can do as a society to keep our planet safe. Certain activities can be applied to our everyday life, the smallest change can protect the Earth’s natural resources, ecosystems, climate, and atmosphere.
1. Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Reduce – Carefully choose things you would like to use to cut back on waste.
- Reuse – Use the same plastic bag to go grocery shopping or invest in an eco-friendly bag. Use glass jars for storage and milk cartons as bird feeders. Many items in one’s household can be reused instead of thrown out.
- Recycle – Numerous objects and materials can be recycled to produce new products instead of being thrown out as trash. The United States Environmental Protection Agency provides an excellent “Recycling 101” article on the process of recycling, how it can be done, and what can and cannot be recycled.
2. Pick Up Trash
- Going out by yourself, with a group of friends, or even with your family to pick up the trash can help keep the Earth’s ecosystems safe. For example, throwing away trash near a beach helps keep marine life safe.
3. Grow a Plant
- Plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen. Growing and taking care of a plant can show us how easily a plant can start withering without proper nourishment and care.
4. Start Your Own Compost
- Composting can add nutrients to soil and reduces the need for harmful chemical fertilizers. Objects such as food scraps, leaves, and cardboard can be used for compost. The United Environmental Protection Agency has provided a very informative article regarding how to compost at home and what can and cannot be used as compost.
5. Shop Sustainable
- Globally, there are around 17 million tons of textile waste per year. Fast fashion is the process of quickly taking advantage of current fashion trends by using cheap and dirty fabric. This is one of the highest polluting industries globally, which also tends to have unethical working conditions. Donating or shopping at your local thrift store or even looking into small businesses that specifically aim to produce eco-friendly or ‘green’ fashion can prevent a negative footprint.