Happy Earth Day! This year sees the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Originally, Earth Day started way back in 1970 as a way to educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Now, the Earth Day Network is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 75,000 partners in over 190 countries to drive positive action for our planet.
Earth Day focuses on the pressing topic of Climate Change. Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable. Typically, Earth Day would see demonstrations, workshops, events and marches taking place to raise awareness for Climate Change. You might even tokenise your participation in these events using a trophy cabinet at home or in your business, memorialising your commitment to the environment and the several achievements along the way.
Earth Day Activities:
1. Pick litter on your daily walk
As we are all permitted to head out for a daily walk, perhaps you could take a bag, litter picker and gloves with you and pick up some litter along the way. This is a great way to clean up your local environment and get a little exercise.
2. Plant some seeds
You can order seeds and compost online to be delivered to your home and get planting. Alternatively, most supermarkets sell seeds, so you could pick some up on your food shop.
3. Teach your children how to plant
As those of you with little ones at home are mostly tasked with home-schooling, what better lesson than to get your children planting? This is an essential skill to learn and one that will be great for them to use throughout their life. You could use it as a chance to speak about the importance of nature for the health of insects, wildlife and the planet at large. It will also be fun to check on the seeds growing each morning.
4. Go meat free for a week
Of course, being Vegan alone will not stop Climate Change, however, the meat industry does play a big role in the health of the planet. A special report commissioned by the UN on climate change and land by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes plant-based diets as a major opportunity for mitigating and adapting to climate change, this report also includes a policy recommendation to reduce meat consumption. So, perhaps going one day or maybe even a whole week without meat could be a great way to help with your efforts to tackle Climate Change.
5. Make your own cleaning supplies
We all know the role that plastic is playing in polluting our oceans. Switch out at least one product in your home for a non-plastic natural alternative. You can try my DIY Natural Multi-Purpose Cleaner Recipe and try making your own cleaning supplies.
6. Start a compost pile
This is as easy as buying a compost bin and sticking it in the garden, you can then add any uncooked food scraps and general garden waste. Composting is an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it also helps to pull carbon out of the atmosphere and replaces polluting chemical fertilisers, protecting the health of your plants, family and wider community.
7. Set up a rainwater harvest
Rainwater harvesting in brief, is the process of collecting rainwater for personal use- for watering your garden plants, flushing the toilet or filtered for showers. Rainwater harvesting is widely promoted in many global cities e.g. Beijing and Shenzhen as a climate change adaptation measure to relieve their urban water supply and drainage pressures. Due to the rising temperatures around the world, rainwater harvesting has emerged as a promising method for citizens to attempt to mitigate the effects of global warming. To begin your own rainwater harvesting, all you need to do is simply place a large barrel beneath the gutter of a home, gathering the collected rainwater and then using the water for your garden. Alternatively you can invest in larger rainwater harvesting butts to gather your own water.
8. Hang a bird feeder outside your window
This is a joyous way to share a little love. Help your feathered friends to enjoy lockdown by hanging a bird feeder outside your window. The birds will love this and you get the added joy of watching them fly by each day. You could share the feathered friends that you spot by tagging @bbcspringwatch on Instagram and using the hashtag #wildlifefrommywindow
9. Switch your accounts to paperless
One simple change you can make during lockdown is to do a bit of personal admin, switch your accounts to be paper-free. Log on to your online bank and other accounts to change your settings to be paperless.
10. Unplug for a whole day
Unplug your device and save energy. Be conscious of switching off lights. According to NSTAR, 29% of energy use in buildings is used for lighting. If you turn off the lights whenever you leave a room, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.15 pounds per hour. Collectively we all have to make small changes to help tackle Climate Change.
11. Create a bee bath
Quite incredibly you have a bee to thank for one in every three bites of food you eat, according the Greenpeace. Bees perform about 80% of all pollination, and a single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day, making them essential to farmers. Creating a bee bath is a fun activity to do with children. Simply get a tray of water and put a few stones inside. Put the bee bath our in the garden to help save the bees.
I’m running an Earth Day Giveaway in partnership with my dear friend Hazel of Hex Tarot. You can enter to win a copy of Earth Blessings as well as an online Tarot Reading with Hazel. Head over to @thefabuloustimes on Instagram to enter.
‘When we recognise the virtues, the talent, the beauty of Mother Earth, something is born in us, some kind of connection, love is born.’
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Stay fabulous
Christine
