Embracing Earth Day Throughout the Year

“Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.” – Rachel Carson

This year we are celebrating the 55th year of Earth Day!

What is Earth Day? It’s the annual day when we recognize the birth of the environmental movement, honor the achievements of the environmentalism, and attempt to raise awareness of the importance of long-term sustainability. The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970.

Back in the 1970s, we had gas-guzzling cars, factories emitting toxic chemicals, and fears of irreversible water and air pollution. A decade earlier, Americans were awakened to some of the environmental dangers by Rachel Carson’s work with Silent Spring, which showcased the negative effects pesticides have on the planet.

In the first 10 years, during the tumultuous decade of the 1960s, the environmental movement behind Earth Day inspired major changes at the federal level, including the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the passing of several key laws:

• Clean Air Act

• Clean Water Act

• Endangered Species Act

• Marine Mammal Protection Act

• Toxic Substances Control Act

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

For a time, the 3 R’s became a popular slogan – encouraging people to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Today, more than 100 countries around the globe celebrate Earth Day.

But why should we be limited to thinking about the Earth only one day a year? As Rachel Carson stated, “Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”

Making a Daily Commitment to the Protecting the Earth

What can you and I do, as part of our daily lives, to think about and protect the Earth – and especially our little piece of the Earth?

1. Rediscover Your Connection to Nature. We are part of nature, and yet we spend so much time being disconnected from it by living inside controlled spaces that keep us separated. Spend part of your day, every day, outside. Part of the reason for the “grounding” movement, which has people going barefoot in nature, is because so few of us spend quality time in the natural world.

2. Reduce Plastics Use. Plastics and microplastics are everywhere, including inside our bodies and washing up on the shores of rivers, lakes, and oceans. Single-use plastics are the worst, but try and remove as much plastic as possible, including all plastic containers, serving dishes and utensils, straws, and cutting boards.

3. Eliminate Toxins in the Home. How many unnecessarily harsh chemicals do you use in your home? It’s time to eliminate all the chemical exposure, including: air fresheners, dish soaps, laundry products, as well as polishes, cleansers, soaps, and antibacterial anything. There are natural and less harsh options for all these caustic products. See my article, Are the Chemicals in Your Home Killing You?

4. Remove Toxins Outside the Home. What toxic chemicals do you or your gardener spray on your precious lawn? It is estimated that an astonishing 80 million pounds of just pesticides are sprayed on lawns and gardens in the U.S. annually. So many of these fertilizers and herbicides get into the groundwater that eventually becomes your drinking water.

5. Support Organic Regenerative Agriculture. One of the biggest users of toxic and harmful chemicals is the conventional agriculture system, which not only contaminates the air and water, but it is slowly depleting all the minerals in our soil. Regenerative organic agricultural practices not only use fewer harsh chemicals, but also build soil quality, help sequester carbon, and produce more nutrient-dense foods.

6. Buy Foods in Season. We have become spoiled consumers, expecting to find fresh fruits and vegetables in our grocery stores year-round, which means many foods are being shipped tens of thousands of miles at a huge expense to the environment. These foods are also often picked before peak ripeness and then “gassed” to prevent over-ripening before reaching your produce section, thus reducing the amount of nutrients.

7. Buy From Local Farmers. You can’t get more environmentally friendly than buying and eating food grown only miles from your residence. Local farmers also tend to be more concerned about soil health and producing the highest quality foods for the community. You can support some farmers with direct purchases at the farm while others may only be found at your local farmers market. A great win for the environment and your community.

8. Plant a Garden. Almost everyone can grow some of their own food, whether via a window-sill herb garden or a full-blown garden in the yard or working a spot in a community garden. Not only is growing your own food environmentally friendly, it also provides you with the freshest foods harvested at peak perfection. An added bonus is the fun of gardening with children and seeing their amazement as the plants grow.

9. Adjust Your Thermostat. We have become prisoners to a perfectly regulated indoor environment, blocking out nature as much as possible, which results in many people running either the heat or air conditioning year-round. To save energy (and money), try adjusting the thermostat a few degrees and/or programming it to adjust temperatures overnight and during times when no one is home. Remember, too, to let nature in on those temperate days by opening windows and doors.

10. Compost Grass Clippings and Organic Matter. If you have a lawn and want to keep it, make sure you compost your grass clippings to improve the soil – including using clippings in your garden to reduce the amount of watering needed. Also, too much organic waste is being sent to landfills when it could easily be composted and used around the yard and in a garden.

11. Use Water Sparingly. Many experts expect water to become one of the most important currencies/deficits in the future. Many of our rivers and underground reservoirs are slowly being depleted by overuse. Reduce your water waste by changing both indoor and outdoor habits. Consider removing some or all of your lawn and replacing with native plants, xeriscaping, and/or a food garden.

12. Pick up Litter – and Don’t Litter. Have you ever volunteered for roadside trash pickup? I have been doing so for more than a decade, and it always astonishes me how much trash people toss from their vehicles, including cigarette butts, soda and beer cans, fast food wrappers and straws, plastic bottles, diapers, plastic toothpicks, and candy wrappers. Please do NOT litter and when out walking, please do pick up litter you find.

13. Walk or Bike or Use Mass Transit. One of the greatest benefits of when I lived in Florida was that I could ride my bike to work almost every day, which was great not only for the environment, but for my health. Start with one day per week and see if you can find a way to not drive to work alone by finding a more Earth-friendly method.

14. Keep Reusable Shopping Bags in Your Car – and Use Them. Plastic grocery bags are just one part of our massive plastics problem, but a big one. Most organizations and stores now sell reusable bags, so please use them. Even better, find used ones, as producing new reusable cloth bags have environmental issues.

15. Propose Planting a School Garden. Studies show so many benefits to starting a school garden beyond being Earth-friendly. School gardens get students outside, spending time in nature watching the plants sprout and grow. Harvesting the gardens and using the bounty in school meals is both environmentally-friendly and a powerful learning tools to show students the benefits of growing some of your own food.

Final Thoughts on Making Earth Day Everyday

We only have this one home planet, and it is paramount to keep it as healthy as possible for future generations.

By making small changes to our daily habits and lifestyles, we can collectively make big improvements to our water, air, and soil.

What are you willing to do today to help the Earth? Learn more on the Earth Day site.

Additional Earth Day Resources

• How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: Five Quick Tips to Green Living

• Get the (Micro) Plastic Out of Your Home!

• Why You Should Be Eating Seasonal Foods

• Why We Need a New Victory Garden Movement

• Are the Chemicals in Your Home Killing You?

• 15 Things You Can Do To Help The Planet

• 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet

• Dangers of Lawn Chemicals: Impacts and Alternatives

• Best Practices: How Regenerative & Organic Agriculture and Land Use Can Reverse Global Warming

• 20 Easy Ways to Help Save the Environment Every Day

• 42 Inspiring Earth Day Activities for Families and College Students