Earth Day was first proposed in October 1969 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conference in San Francisco, CA. During that meeting, John McConnell, an American peace activist, suggested the idea of a day set aside to celebrate the “life and beauty” of the earth as well as to further the cause of world peace. McConnell’s concern for the ecology and peace stemmed from his deeply held religious beliefs.
Based on McConnell’s suggestion, this day was held on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring. However, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson coined the name “earth day” and set its permanent date when he suggested that April 22, 1970 be set aside for talks and workshops across the U.S. teaching about the environment. This American event prompted over 20 million people around the world to filter into the streets in a protest to support of climate protection. Despite this worldwide outpouring, Earth Day was not planned as an official international event for another twenty years, and its principles have only recently memorialized for all nations in the 2016 Paris Agreement.
While April 22, 2021, is celebrated as Earth Day, you do not have to limit yourself to one day to commemorate the event. Here are 5 practical things that you can do this Thursday, and every day, to celebrate Earth Day:
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: While there are concerns about how effective recycling actually is, few can argue with the benefits of producing less trash. If you reuse a container, gifted or purchased, you put less into your trash. This means less money spent on trash bags, which is especially great if you live in a city or town that requires special bags on trash day. And it means less trash bags to haul out to the curb or the dumpster for disposal.
- Compost: Just about everyone loves fresh produce. Even better if you can grow it yourself. You can use some of your kitchen waste to fertilize your garden. Instead of throwing it into the trash, you can gather a pile of old fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and leaves and lawn clippings, and mix it with other organic matter to nourish your garden, and help your herbs and flowers grow. See this Better Homes & Gardens article and video on how to make your own compost with things you would normally throw away. And BH&G can also tell you how to make sure your compost doesn’t stink!
- Shop Locally: In our socially distanced world, it’s convenient to have a delivery driver put household goods and food at our front door. While I’m not on a first name basis with these angels, I do recognize the sound of their engines. You, and I, can reduce the ecological impact of household deliveries by shopping local. A number of groceries and retailers will let you socially distance and shop. If you don’t want to go inside, you can shop online and, when your order is ready, park at the store and let the nice associate put your groceries and household goods in your trunk without having to interact with any other persons. This cuts down on the number of boxes you need to break down on recycling/trash day and keeps money in the local economy.
- Watch an environmental documentary: It can be easy to remain ignorant of the impact that we humans can have on the environment. But an easy way to educate yourself in the midst of these socially distanced times is through documentaries. They can be easily found on a streaming platform, or YouTube. Break up your binge-fest to watch one. See this list of environmental documentaries to watch.
- Spend some time outside: For the past few years we have been socially distanced from one another. But, when was the last time you went outside just to breath some fresh air or sit in the sun? As we leave winter, take advantage of the warmer weather to move your inside activities outside if you can. Lay in the warm shade. Dig in your garden, or plant one. Go for a walk. Open the window or door and breathe some fresh air. Seems like a good way to celebrate Earth Day would be to enjoy the earth and her atmosphere.
Have a Happy Earth Day every day!