Do you ever feel like you could be doing a little more when it comes to thinking of our environment? But you’re never really sure where to start. It’s almost easier to go green in your everyday life, than it is to try and celebrate Earth Day every. To me it feels like celebrating Earth Day is doing more than just remembering your reusable shopping bags.
Don’t get me wrong, all those other activities are absolutely important in helping the environment. But there’s no need to wait for a holiday once a year to make a larger, more permanent commitment to our earth. Try something a little less set-it-and-forget-it, put a little more effort in and the environment gets a little more love out.
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Work one, or some, of these activities into your life throughout the year. You will feel better about yourself, the future, and future generations. The environment doesn’t just count on April 22nd. It counts every day.
6 Awesome Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day
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Plant a Tree
This one’s almost a cliche, but as the saying goes cliches are cliches for a reason. Do one little Google search and you’ll be amazed at all the benefits trees provide. They provide oxygen, reduce pollution, create energy savings, prevent erosion, provide food… the list could go on and on.
The Arbor Day Foundation has this awesome Tree Finding Wizard that helps you find which trees are best for the particular area and climate you’re looking to plant in.
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Pick up Litter in Your Neighborhood
Make a habit out of taking a walk around your neighborhood with a trash bag. I bet you’ll notice after a while there becomes less and less to pick up.
Switch up your route every so often so that you can spread the love around different parts. And you bet people will take notice of what you are doing and either pitch in themselves, or hopefully be a little more mindful of picking up their junk.
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Leave the Car in the Garage
Try committing to riding your bike or taking public transit to work twice a week for a month. I know, I know. This one is so difficult when we have kids to schlep, laptops to haul, work clothes to keep nice, and coworkers to not stink around.
So if you aren’t able to ride your bike to work, take a serious look into your light rail, train, subway, or bus system. See if you could manage to do one of those every so often. If not, try to carpool with someone who lives by you.
If it’s just too much to handle during the day, ride your bikes to dinner instead of driving. Try to do your grocery shopping once a week to cut back on frequent trips to the store. Baby steps are better than no steps
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Educate Yourself
The more you know, the harder it is to ignore the problem. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a great page with lots of resources on how to get involved in your community.
I have some good friends that started a company called JaMo Threads. They make adventure gaiters, one of which blocks out harmful air pollution. I follow them on Facebook, and they’re always posting helpful information on rallies going on, air pollution stats, and current events related to the environment.
So if you can, find a couple of local groups that can help keep you up to date on the current happenings.
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Go Solar
Think big, or think small. There are numerous options when it come to trying out solar power. We’re looking into options for our house. This can seem pricey up front, but with the available payment plans and tax breaks, the benefits far outweigh the costs.
There are also smaller ways you can harness the power of the sun. If you have a trailer you can use solar panels to give yourself a boost. There are backpacks with solar panels on them. And they even have little chargers for your camera, phone, GPS, and video devices.
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Grow Your Groceries
This might be one of my favorite ways to go green, which is ironic since I have a black thumb. Luckily my husband is great in the garden, and produces amazing produce every summer. “Local” and “homegrown” are such buzzwords these days. But if you really stop to think about it, there are so many benefits other than just being hip.
First of all, there is nothing sweeter than a tomato from your very own garden. Then when you think about the travel your local grocery store tomato had to take to reach its final destination, it really makes you appreciate the one you can go grab from your back yard.
Grocery store fruits and veggies typically have to travel on air polluting trucks to get to the store. Not to mention the machinery, pesticides, and waxy chemicals used to make them look shiny and pretty.
I understand that not everyone can grow their own produce year round. We live in a state that gets maybe a couple months worth of harvesting. You could also use a greenhouse for a longer growing period. And be sure to ask your local nursery what to plant at each time of the year to maximize your variety.
And there you have it. Easy right? Imagine if we all did just one of these things, we’d be so much better off in the future. I’d love to hear what you’ve done to celebrate Earth Day!
