Earth Day Tips! Your Journey in Sustainable Living
Earth Day, a worldwide annual event in support for environmental protection. It is also a celebration honouring the achievements of environmental movement to raise awareness of environmental issues and sustainable living.
Earth Day is a day where we can show appreciation and a reason to initial new sustainable habits in your daily lifestyle. To celebrate this year, I have put together a little list you can start and continue your journey in sustainable living.
Check these out and let me know how many you achieved today!
Let your voice be heard
Sign up and tune in to Earth Day Live! (https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-live/). With all the in-person protests cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic, Earth Day Live is providing a 3 days livestream of educational materials, musical performances and panels on climate change topics. Tune in when you have the chance for amazing scheduled speakers and performers like Black Lives Matter’s Patrisse Cullors, Al Gore,Jason Mraz, Stacey Abrams. Ziggy Marley and Jack Johnson
Buy and start using a reusable shopping bag
100 billion single use plastic bags are used by Americans every year and just production alone requires millions of barrels of oil. After a single use plastic bag is used, they are disposed into landfills and cause major problems in our ocean and marine wildlife. Start by carrying a reusable shopping bag in your car or handbag so whenever you pop into your local grocery store, you can start avoiding single use plastic bags
Use a refillable water bottle
Single use plastic bottles are another big hazard to our planet. Just because your plastic bottle is made from recycle plastic and can also be recycled, think about all the unnecessary non environmental resources used to create that single use bottled water! You may be throwing them into the recycling bin afterwards, it doesn’t mean they are not hurting the environment. Consider the transportation process, wasteful packaging and other wastes when these plastic bottles are made and disposed of. Buy a reusable bottle today and ditch the old habit of buying bottled water
Plant something
A great option is to plant your own fruits and veggies which will not only benefit your health but it reduces the amount of fossil fuel emissions by avoiding transportation of these produce into your supermarket chains, plus all the unnecessary packaging they use to protect these produce during transportation. Another great idea is to plant a tree. You may not be able to gain the full benefit of a tree as it takes years to grow but think about how it will change the world for the next generations to come by providing more oxygen, shade, clean air and many other benefits!
Ride your bike
This is the best time to start as many COVID-19 restrictions are in place in many countries which includes closure of fitness facilities and restrictions of group activities. Riding your bike will provide you the perfect workout and also a transport alternative to help reduce carbon footprint. Carbon emissions are the biggest culprit contributing to global warming. Ride your bike or even walking are definitely 2 great options if you are travelling short distance and the best excuse to get some fresh air!
Buy from local farmer’s market
Not only are you supporting local businesses in your area, you are also helping the environment by reducing long transportation process of these produce getting into your supermarket and wasteful packaging they use. Buying locally will reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Less protective packaging are used as well due to shorter transportation process. Start shopping local!
Avoid and unsubscribe to catalogues
Imagine all the trees are cut down to be used as wasteful junk mail which most of the time are never used. A majority of them end up in the trash without being read. Sign up for email catalogues and newsletters and browse products online without a single tree being cut down!
Spread Love
We are too often caught up in our own little world scrolling through social media. Its time to spend abit of time outside, get some sunlight and spread some love to your family and friends. Earth Day is just a reminder of how awesome everyone around us is and how beautiful this planet presents itself. Give yourself some love by reading, treating yourself a beautiful lunch or even a walk along the beach to enjoy the breeze and fresh air. Ditch the social media and call a friend or loved one just for a chat especially during this difficult time where we are obliged to social distancing. A simple call goes a long way because you never know some extra love is all they need given the conditions of the current pandemic