Around the world every year, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. For 2017, scientists are holding their March for Science and are expecting to draw thousands to Washington, while NASA is keeping with its tradition of educating students and adults about its focus on environmental science.
But how can one personally contribute to this annual event that seeks to address the ever-important issue of climate change and its chaotic indicators: unprecedented warming, extreme weather patterns, and climbing carbon dioxide levels?
Go Green In Life And Business
There are several ways one can make a personal contribution to this important event. Reusing and recycling not only save money, but they also offer the environment some comfort.
Individuals and businesses can reuse, recycle, print less, refill their ink cartridges, and go paperless, as well as save on energy bills by purchasing Energy Star-certified products. They may also install timers to enable lights and equipment to power off at nighttime.
Companies can promote not just ecological interests but also employee health and welfare by going green. The Green Business Bureau noted a 20 percent reduction in the number of sick days in firms that actively promote a healthier workplace. In addition, those who use solar energy can avail themselves of tax benefits.
Going green at these times, too, boosts employee morale, especially among millennials who have become increasingly socially conscious.
Finally, going green makes for great branding. It announces to the whole world that a person or organization is all about doing right by nature and its consumers.
Kids Can Make A Difference, Too
EarthDay.net enumerates [PDF] a number of Earth-friendly things that children can do to celebrate Earth Day every single day. These include the following:
1. Clean up a nearby park together with friends and playmates. They may also start planting shrubs or a tree in the yard or in the park.
2. Organize a cleanup day at school. Create promotional materials such as posters to promote the event, and enlist the help of teachers in posting them in classrooms and school premises.
3. Bicycle or walk to school instead of being driven by parents, but as long as Mom and Dad think it’s a safe idea.
4. Turn off fans, lights, and the television when leaving the room or not in use.
5. Check one’s home for leaky faucets or toilets, and never leave the water running while brushing one’s teeth or washing one’s hands or face. Take shorter showers while at it!
6. Tell Mom or Dad to wash the car less often, lower the thermostat by a few degrees in the winter, and replace air filters for more efficient air-conditioning.
7. Use a broom, not a hose, when cleaning the driveway or sidewalk.
Additional Earth-Friendly Measures
Experts also increasingly call for stopping the use of single-use utensils and plastic straws. Americans alone use about 500 million straws each day, which weigh as much as 1,000 cars on their own! They also advise using a reusable water bottle with its own attached straw to help control the amount of plastic ending up in bodies of water.
It’s considered smart to start viewing billing statements and paying one’s dues online. It’s quicker, more convenient, and it’s a paperless way to go. In addition, updating light bulbs into energy-saving LEDs will reduce energy costs at home and create light more efficiently via light-emitting diodes.
Something as simple as buying a birdhouse also helps. This will offer birds a safe haven for warmth and shelter during the chilly months, as well as assist in weed and pest control.
