10 Ways to Serve the Planet this Earth Day!
Spring is in full force! And with it comes Earth Day, a celebration of the day the modern environmental movement was born. Our friends at Earth Day Network are celebrating with acts of service, so why shouldn’t we? Read on to discover how you can serve on Earth Day this Sunday!
Go local Consider participating in a in a local environmental festival or event. If your community doesn’t have one, why not organize one? There is no better time than Earth Day to start a recycling competition at work or organize a cleanup day in your community!
Conserve water Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth. Adjust your sprinklers so they don’t run in the middle of the day when the sun will simply absorb it. If you have a dishwasher, only run it when the machine is full. If you wash by hand, consider filling one side of the sink to wash in rather than leaving the faucet running. A few simple adjustments can make a world of different on your water footprint!
Pledge an Act of Green Earth Day Network has set a goal of a billion Acts of Green. Be it big or small, pledge to do something good for the environment today!
Grow your own produce We encourage your to get out and embrace this beautiful spring weather, by starting your own garden. In addition for being good for the environment, food from one’s own garden just seems to taste better! Not sure how to get started? Check out our post on community gardens.
E-cycle Recycle and/or properly dispose of electronic waste such as computers and other gadgets. Dell, Hewlett Packard, Apple, and IBM, among others, offer recycling programs. Add e-cycling to your spring cleaning list!
Support your National Parks Volunteering at a National Park is a great way to spend Earth Day. Contribute to everyone’s enjoyment of the great outdoors while enjoying it yourself! The United States Forest Service has plenty of volunteer opportunities to get you started.
Pass on gas Take public transportation, carpool, plan your day to reduce trips and vehicle emissions. Consider using human powered modes of transportation to get from place to place! Walk, jog, skip, ride a bike instead.
Conserve energy Turn off lights and electronics when you leave the room. Unplug your cell phone charger from the wall when not using it. Turn off energy strips and surge protectors when not in use (especially overnight).
Go zero Log on to the Conservation Fund’s Carbon Zero Calculator and in less than five minutes, you can measure and then offset your carbon dioxide emissions by planting trees.
Spread the word Do you use social media? If you have friends and followers, consider loaning some of your social media updates to raise awareness of World Water Day. Social media is a powerful tool, and you may very well incite your friends to action!
How do you plan to celebrate Earth Day on April 22? Let us know in the comments below!