Earth Day 2024 is fast approaching. What does that mean for us as individuals? It gives us all a moment to stop, reflect and take action. What is really happening to our planet and what we can do about it? Are we going to change everything in a day? Let’s try.
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Monday, April 22 is Earth Day 2024 and there are a lot of ways in which we can all make a difference. Sustainability and awareness begins with you and me. We really do have the power to make a change. Here are 9 easy ways you can take part in Earth Day 2021 and be an Earth Hero.
Table of Contents
What is Earth Day 2024?
Earth Day is an important pillar in the field of sustainability and global connectivity. This year marks 50 years since the first celebration in 1970. That is the day when 10% of North America came together to protest against environmental ignorance. People hit the streets, campuses, and cities around the country with one target. To make REAL change.
So, has anything changed in 50 years?
A lot. The original Earth Day protests spearheaded the creation of a National Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Which many countries have also adopted. These agencies work to enforce environmental laws and longevity.
When is Earth Day?
Earth Day 2024 is on Monday April 22.
Earth Day Facts
- Gaylord Nelson (a U.S. Senator) came up with the idea of Earth Day after witnessing the massive 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California
- 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 (10% of the total population of the United States)
- 1990 Earth Day went global, with 200 million people in 141 countries participating
- In the year 2000, Earth Day utilized the power of the internet to reach millions of people in more than 180 countries
- In 2010, the Earth Day Network brought 250,000 people to the National Mall in Washington for a Climate Rally, which introduced a global tree planting initiative, The Canopy Project.
- 2020 marked the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
What is the Theme for Earth Day 2024?
Every year there is a new Earth Day theme or focus. The 2024 Earth Day Theme is Planet vs Plastics.
“This year we rally behind the theme “Planet vs Plastics”. This emphasises our collective commitment to tackle the plastics crisis head-on, with a bold 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040 and aspiring to forge a plastic-free future because recycling is not the answer”.
Earth Day Org
While this might seem like an overwhelming subject to address in one day, there are significant ways you can take action.
Previous Earth Day Themes:
- 2022 Earth Day theme: Invest in our Planet
- 2022 Earth Day theme: Invest in our Planet
- 2021 Earth Day theme: Restore our Earth
- 2020 Earth Day theme: Climate Action
- 2019 Earth Day theme: Protect our Species
- 2018 Earth Day theme: End Plastic Pollution
- 2017 Earth Day theme: Environmental and Climate Literacy
- 2016 Earth Day theme: Trees for the Earth
- 2015 Earth Day theme: It’s our turn to lead
- 2014 Earth Day theme: Green Cities
Here are 10 Ways You Can Take Climate Action and Restore our Earth on Earth Day 2024.
Climate action can be taken on all levels. From operations and large organised events to simple, daily changes. Here are 10 ways you can encourage positive climate action and restore our earth on Earth Day 2024.
1. Participate in an Earth Day Activity or Event
There are a lot of pre-organized Earth Day events all over the globe.
From joining a cleanup or climate strike, to taking part in the world’s largest citizen science initiative, to hosting an event in your own community, there are a wide array of opportunities that you can join in.
A themed Earth day celebration is a great way to bring your fellow citizens together for an hour of dialogue about the issues that are facing our environment today. You can choose your theme or course of action for the day, whether it’s visiting different locations to plant trees, creating a communal compost station, building your climate literacy, or doing a community clean up. If you don’t want to plan your own activity, here are the different locations with organised events (online and in person).
Events include things like:
- Artists for the Earth
- Cleanups
- Activist
- Conservation
- Teach-in
- Online Event
- Film Screening
2. Join the Earth Challange App
A bold task set out by the Earth Day Team. This is a Global Citizen Science Project that captures real-time data from around the planet to document and monitor threats to environmental and human health.
Right now, the app is focusing on how insect populations like bees are changing. There are also opportunities to support the research on air quality, plastics, and food security.
Anyone with a smartphone can take part in this project. For example, if you are focusing on the plastic pollution research, if you’re on a walk and see trash on the ground, in a river bed, stream, on a beach, you can:
- Open the App
- Take a photo of the trash
- Tag its geolocation
- The plastic-type
- Pick up the trash and dispose of it properly
With more and more people uploading real-time pollution we can finally get some real numbers on just how bad the situation is and how we can best address solving it.
3. Watch These Sustainable Documentaries
Another way to take part in Earth day is by becoming aware and informed. These sustainable documentaries can give you some inspiration on Earth Day 2021.
Starting out with beautiful scenes of our planets most remote locations and the real impacts of our human development, this list goes through:
- The natural world
- Plastic impacts on marine life
- Impacts of animal exploitation and how it is still happening today
- Stories of great environmental activists
- The relationship between food and the environment
4. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home
Due to the current global situation, many of us are being confined to our homes. This does not mean that our impact on the world outside changes.
The way in which we operate our households on a daily basis has real effects on our planet and small changes that we make do add up. As a whole, we are using a lot of energy at home. And, until we see drastic changes in the fuel industry to renewable energy, we are on a path to run out of fossil fuels by 2088.
Our Home Energy Top User
The average household energy use distribution in the US (for example purposes only). We can see that top energy user in households is:
- Approx. 50% of household energy use is Heating and Cooling (air-conditioning)
What’s the easiest way to reduce your air-conditioning?
- Use it less
- Reduce the temperature difference (take the edge off, not completely change the environment)
- Use a timer (automatic switch off )
5. Measure your foodprint
“A foodprint measures the environmental impacts associated with the growing, producing, transporting, and storing of our food— from the natural resources consumed to the pollution produced to the greenhouse gases emitted.”
Earth Day Org
By choosing a climate conscious diet and eating less meat is a great way to restore our earth. If you watched the above-mentioned list of sustainable documentaries, you would have come across the names “Cowspiracy” and “The Game Changers”.
These showcase the direct link between deforestation and beef.
- Cows require large areas of land
- The demand for beef around the globe has been steadily increasing (except for China and Brasil) which has seen rapid intakes of beef per capita since the 1990’s.
The huge amount of resources needed to produce a single serving of beef is unsustainable. Simply swapping out meat for some Green Food options will significantly reduce your environmental impact. If you want to learn about your foodprint, you can use one of these food carbon calculators.
6. Swap out Single-Use Plastics
We know that plastic is bad for our environment. Just how bad is it?
Plastic is literally suffocating areas of our natural world.
- Up to 12.7 Million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year (equivalent weight of 12 Million Elephants)
- The plastic is breaking into tiny pieces (called microplastics) and winding up in our food chain
- Microplastics can also be inhaled via dust.
- This could be toxic and result in negative immune system responses
Learn to How to Say No To Plastic
There’s never been a better time to Say No to Plastic. There are easy single-use plastic swaps for around your home or when you go outside. Here are some easy to follow guides:
7. Plant a Native in Your Garden
Native plants are those that come from the region you are in. They’re good for your garden (and the surrounding environment) for a few reasons:
- Native plants are adapted to live in your environment. They don’t require additional watering, fertilizers, etc. This reduces your environmental impact
- These kinds of plants are also good for the local insects and bird populations by providing a native habitat
Don’t have a garden? Grow your own herbs & leafy greens
Many people live in small apartments with limited space. The luxury of gardening is not an option. But, you’d be surprised what you can accomplish with a little soil and TLC. Try growing some basil, spinach, and rosemary by your window!
Go one step further, and create a kitchen compost bin (this is also a great way to reduce plastic bags in your kitchen). You can either designate a container in the fridge for your food waste or purchase a countertop compost bin. Then, you can use the compost (discarded organics) to create a Compost Smoothie.
- Add discarded organics to a blender with some water
- Feed the mixture to your indoor plants (make sure you bury the food particles), to create a natural fertilizer
- Grow your own herbs and save on store-bought packaging and waste!
8. Support Sustainable Brands
Across the board, more and more brands are going sustainable. It is a great insight into where the consumer demand is going. We as consumers are demanding better. And, companies are delivering.
Ways in which brands are going sustainable include:
- Plastic free packaging
- Chemical free
- Free from animal testing
- Sustainably sourced and certified
Some of the biggest areas in sustainability right now include:
- Sustainable Fashion – fast fashion (cheap, quick turnover fashion) has a devastating impact on our environment. Check out one of the sustainable documentaries called River Blue to see the impacts of well-known fashion labels’ impact on our natural waterways.
- Single-Use Plastic Alternatives – not only are these amazing brands providing a well-needed alternative to our plastic pollution issue, but they’re also doing it in a sustainable way.
9. Share the Knowledge & Save Earth Slogans
Knowledge is key. One of the biggest things that we’ve noticed from traveling the globe is that pollution and environmental damage is generally not done maliciously. People are often unaware of their real environmental impact.
The global push to stop the use of plastic straws over the last couple of years has been wildly successful. The #stopsucking and #nostraw campaigns have really brought the single-use plastic issue into the mainstream.
It is through sharing information that awareness spreads and turns into action.
Save Earth Slogans for Earth Day 2021
If you want to create awareness, here are 101 Save Earth Slogans and quotes! There are also pre-made posters that you can use on your Earth Day 2021 parades or protests.
Don’t forget about water, our most valuable resource. Here are 55 of the best Quotes and Slogans on Saving Water for you to share!
10. Donate to the Canopy Project
According to the UN, 18 million acres of forest are lost every year, with approximately half of Earth’s tropical forests being cleared already. The Canopy Project plants a tree across the globe for each $1 donated.
Forests are essential in capturing carbon, cooling areas, and supporting pollinators. So far, the Canopy Project has planted tens of millions of trees, reforesting areas of need, and with your help this Earth Day then can expand their reach even further.
Be Active this Earth Day 2021 and Keep in Touch!
From us here at The Dharma Trails, we hope this inspires you to be active this Earth Day 2021.
Of course, there are always more ways in which we can all be even greener in our daily lives. We’d love to know your thoughts. Either leave a comment below or follow us on Instagram. We will be doing a live question response on Earth Day 2021.
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