Earth Day 2021’s theme is Restore Our Earth. The world’s largest non-religious holiday is all about promoting the preservation and protection of the environment. This is the second online celebration of Earth Day and the 51st year celebrating this global holiday. This year there will be a variety of live virtual summits with activists such as Greta Thunberg speaking about the environment, green technology, and climate restoration. This holiday seeks to educate and inform the public about the environment and how you can seek to help protect and preserve the Earth.
Earth Day began in the 1970s when the realization that pollution was not only harmful to the environment but also to our health was made. A young activist named Denis Hayes began the Earth Day movement catching global attention and positive movement promoting protecting the environment. The first Earth Day in 1970 was instrumental in the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and aided in creating other positive environmental laws. Over time, Earth Day has gained more and more global attention with missions to protect the environment, explore clean energy, and combat climate change. Today it is recognized as the largest secular holiday in the world with more than a billion people each year using this day to promote the protection of the global environment.
There are plenty of things you can do on Earth Day and every day to promote the preservation of the environment. These can range from new habits and practices to educating yourself about the state of the planet. Here are just a few options to explore to celebrate Earth Day.
Visit the Earth Day website to learn more about the live virtual conferences and summits and watch activists such as Greta Thunberg speak about climate change and environmental protection. There is a wide selection of virtual events to sign up for if you wish to participate!
Recycling as much as possible on a daily basis is a great and easy way to help preserve the environment. Glass, aluminum, paper, and plastic can all be recycled instead of thrown away. Making products from recycled materials saves an average of 50% of energy than when they are created with new products!
One way to reduce your use of plastic is to incorporate reusable bags into your shopping routines. Bringing your own bags will eliminate the need for non-recyclable plastic bags at the store. Furthermore, reusable bags are sturdier and easier to carry making your next grocery store run a breeze.
Each time you leave a room try to turn off the lights, and unplug unneeded appliances to reduce your energy usage. Using power strips can make turning off unneeded appliances even easier. Additionally, when possible and bright enough you can rely on natural light indoors instead.
Reducing water usage when possible is an easy step to take to preserve the environment. Just one minute of the shower running takes about 3-5 gallons of water! Taking shorter showers, securely turning off faucets, running the dishwasher only when full, and turning the water off while brushing your teeth are great daily habits to keep in mind to reduce your water usage.
There are many habits you can work into your daily routine to aid in preserving and protecting the environment. This list is just the beginning and there are unlimited resources to use to learn more about how to become more environmentally friendly. These steps are a great place to start to promote this year’s Earth Day theme of Restore Our Earth.
For more information on Earth Day and environmental practices check out these resources:
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