Earth Day is on April 22nd. While every day is technically a day of kindness to the Earth, this day is an opportunity to show appreciation and adopt new habits, if necessary. There are many small things that you can do to help save the Earth. We have ten great ideas!
Plant something
Trees can cool down the environment (collectively, they can reduce the temperature of a city by as much as 10 degrees), but they also purify the air and emit more oxygen. If your parents aren’t convinced, you can plant one in your yard. It’s proven that trees can increase the value of your home by 15%. Growing your vegetables and fruits will not only benefit your health but also reduce fossil fuel emissions.
Riding your bike
You can find transportation options that will help you move and reduce your carbon footprint. Two of the best ways to get around are by riding a bike or walking. You can also carpool with others or use public transport if you don’t own a bike.
Your voice will be heard.
Are you passionate about an environmental cause or piece of legislation that should be passed? You can check out the many excellent youth climate activist groups like Sunrise Movement, Zero Hour and Extinction Rebellion Youth, and Fridays for Future. Please find out how you can get involved in their many initiatives and volunteer for them. Send an email to your representative to express your opinions. Here are their contact details. You can also sign or start a petition to have something changed. Change.org is the place to start.
Tune in Earth Day Live
Earth Day events are now moving online after in-person protests were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earth Day Live is a Livestream that will feature three days of teaching-ins, music performances, and panels on the climate movement. Wednesday’s focus is on frontline communities; Thursday will be devoted to fossil fuel divestment, while Friday will be a voter mobilization event that aims to get thousands of voters registered.
Buy reusable bags
According to estimates, Americans use 100 million plastic bags each year. To produce those bags requires 12 million barrels of oil. They also take up a lot of space in landfills and pose a severe threat to marine wildlife. You can instead buy cute, reusable bags that you can use at the grocery store. It’s stylish and eco-friendly!
Refillable water bottles are a good idea.
Your plastic water bottles are not harmful to the environment because you put them in the recycling bin. It takes more than 1.5 million barrels to make each of these bottles every year. There are still over 2 million tons of water bottles in U.S. trash cans. So you can always get freshwater, buy a reusable container, and preferably one with a filter attached.