The theme of Earth Day 2019 is Protect our Species. As Rachel Caron said in 1962, “In nature, nothing exists alone.” Despite this, our world is currently facing the greatest rate of extinction since we lost the dinosaurs more than 60 million years ago, but now, due to the result of human activity. This rapid reduction of plant and wildlife species has been linked to impacts including but not limited to: climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, poaching, unsustainable agriculture, pollution and pesticides. We know the truth about climate change; that people are burning fossil fuels and warming the atmosphere with potentially catastrophic consequences.
It’s a great step in the right direction when every year on Earth Day, one billion people across the globe in more than 193 countries celebrate. We most commonly participate in activities including planting trees, picking up litter in each of our communities, turning off the lights for a few hours, or even sharing awareness posts on social media. The problem is that 24 hours of glorified greenness is not the solution. We must incorporate easy actions that can collectively make a huge difference into our every day lives.
For Earth Day 2019, here are ten things you can try doing 365 days a year to reduce your ecological footprint, invest in our future, and the survival of our planet!
- Use Alternate Transportation Methods – When getting from Point A to Point B, consider carpooling, taking public transportation, riding your bike, or even walking.
- Drive Less – If you do end up driving a car; be gentle on the brakes which can be a more efficient use of gas, driver slower to save gas, and make sure your tires are inflated which can increase mileage by more than three percent.
- Bring Your Own Recyclable Bag to the Grocery Store – The US Environmental Protection Agency has reported that almost 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year; while only 1 out of every 200 bags end up getting recycled meaning that large quantities of these bags end up not only in the landfills, but also in our oceans.
- Save Paper at Work – Change your paper bills to online bills and you will not only be saving tress, but also the fuel it takes to deliver these bills to you. When you need to read documents, also consider reading them online instead of printing them. And when printing, make sure your printer is set to two-sided.
- Use LED Lightbulbs – They last ten times longer and use two-thirds less energy. This has been proven to reduce your carbon footprint by over 450 pounds every year.
- Avoid Buying Bottled Water – The plastic is not only made from oil, but takes additional oil to transport, chill, and ship. Still only about 27% of plastic water bottles are actually recycled in the US. Not only is it better for the environment, but also healthier for you as there is no chance of chemicals leaching from the plastic.
- Programable Thermostat – With this technology, you can reduce the temperature setting when you go to bed. But, you can also turn down your heater thermostat two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer to reduce your carbon footprint by 2000 pounds.
- Pack Your Lunch in a Reusable Way – Instead of continuously purchasing brown paper lunch kids and Ziplock sandwich bags, choose a reusable lunch kit and Tupperware containers.
- Meatless Monday – Try it! Reducing your meat consumption can cut carbon emissions from the livestock industry. The U.N. reports that the meat industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. It’s also estimated that over 1,800 gallons of water are used to produce just a single pound of beef.
- Be Thrifty with Your Belongings! – Donate your old clothes and home goods, instead of throwing them out. Additionally, when you need something, buying used items (whether its clothes or equipment) can reduce waste, packaging and your spending. Being aware and shopping for eco-friendly clothing brands is also a great idea.
Let’s take care of our planet on Earth Day and everyday.
