On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to advocate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Stemming in our beautiful city of Seattle and led by Danis Hayes, thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values. By the end of that year, the inaugural Earth Day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. This nationwide collective movement came to be known as the first Earth Day.
Earth Day is this Friday, April 22nd, 2016. What are you planning to do to thank the Earth for providing us with everything that we need? Small changes will make a huge difference in protecting the world we live in. Below are some ideas on how you can preserve and give back to our wonderful planet Earth!
#1 GO GREEN
Ride a bike, walk or take the bus to work! The average person creates 4.6 pounds of waste each day. Take into account your carbon footprint and make a plan to reduce and reuse. Make a list of your daily activities and find greener routes to go about your daily life.
#2 PLANT A TREE
Planting a tree is very simple to do! The Seattle reLeaf program offers workshops and tree planting events to help keep the Emerald City green. You’ll also get a good workout from all the digging.
#3 GO PAPERLESS
Opt-in for online billing to reduce paper waste. Recycle all paper products by emailing, texting, or using social media to get your message across! If you’re a fan of coupons, opt for online coupon apps while grocery shopping.
#4 ORGANIZE A COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP or JUST PICK UP LITTER
If every person picked up just one piece of trash, there would be over 300 million fewer pieces of litter. Litter damages our environment. Our oceans especially feel the impact of littering. Organize a community clean-up with friends and family OR just make an effort to pick up trash at least once each day. Every little bit counts!
#5 USE REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS
Plastic bags, while only used for an average of about twelve minutes, remain in landfills, oceans, and other places for thousands of years. Save some money and resources by using reusable bags. Almost all grocery stores have reusable bags that can be purchased for $1-3 per bag. Use your reusable bags when you shop at retails stores as well.
#6 SHOP LOCAL
End of Spring marks the beginning of Farmers Markets throughout Seattle! Buy local and support local businesses to boost our economy. Supporting local economies reduces the amount of resources used to get food from the farm to our tables.
#7 ATTEND AN EARTH DAY EVENT
Get out and do something! The Yo Yo Yoga Project is hosting an Earth Day yoga event + Dance Party! Come join them at the Monkey Loft in Seattle, WA this Friday, April 22nd. Buy tickets for only $20 on the Yoga Panda App here.
Tell us in the comments what you’ll be doing for Earth Day. We’d love to hear how you’re taking care of our Earth!
[Photo Credit viki young | CC BY]
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