Celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd.
“We are interconnected with nature and with each other. What we do to the planet and its living creatures, we do to ourselves.”
David Suzuki Foundation
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Jane Goodall
Happy Earth Day!
The Earth Day movement advocates for a clean planet, and Saturday, April 22nd, 2023, will mark the 53rd year of this annual event. It engages millions worldwide and has blossomed into Earth Month- 30 days to appreciate the planet and campaign for environmentally-friendly practices to preserve it. The Earth Day 2023 theme is “Invest In Our Planet,” focusing on volunteering, artists for the earth, education, and events. Check out Earth Day for more details.
The present state of our glorious planet is pretty grim as temperatures rise and global emissions continue to destabilize the climate, as seen by wildfires, floods, extreme storms, and rising sea levels.
It’s terrific to acknowledge this day and participate in community events, as we need reminders that the state of our planet is in a critical situation. Still, our concern for environmental justice is something we should and need to commit to every day.
What motivates me the most to pay attention and do something is knowing that what I do today will impact future generations and will likely harm my daughter's and grandchildren’s lives. Global warming is not a natural disaster but a human-made disaster, and don’t underestimate what you, as an individual, can do to make a difference.
What Can You Do?
Participate in Earth Day & Get Involved in Your Community.
Many communities have organized clean-up days-see if any events are happening in your neighbourhood. Research and take stock of how your lifestyle and actions impact the environment.
There is no one cause of climate change, and numerous social and economic factors contribute. However, there is so much that you can do to fight climate change on an individual basis: write government officials and vote for individuals that support climate change policies, eat a climate-stable diet, green your travel, access renewable energy, consume less, invest in renewables, and decrease the use of plastic.
Most communities have tree planting, eco-friendly, and sustainability groups. Join one!
Decrease your use of Plastic.
Plastic is destroying our planet. When discarded, it breaks down into smaller particles that release toxic chemicals and are ingested by land wildlife and marine mammals. Millions of tonnes of plastic enter our oceans each year and kill marine life; 1 million seabirds and more than 100,000 marine mammals are affected yearly.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of plastic debris in the North Pacific Ocean. It is estimated that 1.15-2.41 million tonnes of plastic annually enter the ocean from rivers.
These are a few items that we use to reduce our plastic use:
Mesh bags- used to bag fruits and vegetables.
Nature Clean Hand Soap-eco-friendly. The same bottle is refilled at a local environmental store.
Silicone bags - food storage bags.
Nature Clean Dish Soap - eco-friendly. The same bottle is refilled at a local environmental store.
Tru Earth Laundry Strips - plastic-free, eco-friendly, zero-waste laundry detergent. 700,000,000 plastic laundry jugs are dumped into landfills across North America every year. These zero-waste laundry detergent strips are packaged in a plastic-free compostable cardboard sleeve. They do not make water ‘soapy,” but are very effective.
Cloth Grocery Bags-available in most grocery stores and easily replace plastic bags.
Bamboo toothbrush-when thrown out will biodegrade.
Shampoo bar and tin holder-these bars are concentrated pucks of shampoo that can outlast two to three bottles of the liquid option, and one bar will last up to 80 washes! There are also conditioner bars. Zero waste. We purchase ours at Lush.
Reusable razor - only need to purchase new blades.
Good JuJu sells all-natural, plastic-free products.
Decrease or Eliminate Meat Intake
Agriculture has an enormous impact on the environment, particularly animal agriculture. It takes nearly 2,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef! One-third of our freshwater use goes to animal agriculture, and it takes about 11 times more fossil fuel to produce one calorie of animal protein than it does to produce one calorie of plant protein.
Even the least sustainable plant food is significantly more sustainable than the best environmentally performing animal food. The U.N. says raising animals for food is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.”
Increase the number of plant-based meals and decrease your reliance on animal protein for your health and the planet. If you like to eat meat, ensure you are purchasing ethically sourced meat. Go meat-free a few days a week, and you will notice the impact on your wallet and the planet.
Support local farms.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaners
Make your own eco-friendly cleaners.
They may be inexpensive, but products like Mr. Clean and Windex are not good for the environment. Make your own products or purchase products that are eco-friendly.
Fashion
The fashion industry is responsible for over 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable Fashion refers to a clothing supply chain that is ecologically and socially responsible. Now is the opportunity to shift the industry and consumers away from the fast fashion model and toward sustainable practices in sourcing, production, distribution, marketing, and consumption.
Avoid purchasing clothing that is mass-produced in horrible conditions for workers. I remember when Joe Fresh opened, and I got sucked into purchasing many of their colour t-shirts and other clothing without any knowledge about the environmental impact. Sure, their clothes are very inexpensive, but the quality is poor, their t-shirts don’t last long, and they don’t have the best record in protecting their workers or the environment.
If you are in a position to purchase new clothing, it is better to buy quality items that will last and from companies that care about the environment.
Make a Pledge for Earth Day. Here’s mine:
I pledge to make several new small changes and continue with the ones I have made to make a difference:
Save water. I don’t shower daily unless I’m dirty or have sweated profusely. Besides socks and undergarments, I wear clothes numerous times before I wash them, provided they are not dirty. I ensure that I don’t let the tap run unnecessarily. We have rain barrels and use rainwater to water our garden.
Decrease car use. We walk as much as possible and ride our bikes. There is still room for improvement.
We do not litter and regularly clean up the pathways we often walk on. We participate in neighbourhood clean-ups.
I rarely purchase new clothing, and when I do, I check out 2nd hand stores first, or if I do buy brand new clothing, I research the provider.
We live as plastic-free as possible and rarely purchase any items that are single-use plastic if an alternative is available. We have some work to do when it comes to take out food and when purchasing plants for the garden.
We use eco-friendly cleaning products or make our own.
We have planted numerous trees and plants and plan on doing more this year.
We eat a predominantly plant-based diet and grow vegetables in the summer.
We did not make the above changes overnight. We took baby steps that took years. Change is hard. Start by making small changes and build on them.
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Curious about where you’re at regarding your carbon footprint? Check this out Carbon Footprint Calculator.
Ignoring, watching, waiting, and hoping someone else will care for the problem will guarantee catastrophic results. Educate yourself and get involved. Do your research on how you can reduce your carbon footprint.
Let me know in the comments below your plans for Earth Day and the steps that you’ve made to save our planet.
Peace and blessings.
Anita
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