Earth Day Reflections

On Wednesday, April 22, Earth Day turned 50! It was a big milestone so there was much celebration and a great emphasis on the need for action now more than ever.

Because of COVID-19 I’m working from home so I was able to put the earthday.org live-stream on in the background while I was working. For that, I’m so grateful. The energy coming out of the broadcast, the 24-hours of calls to action, and the social media chatter throughout the day was so encouraging and energizing.

It was great to see that the Earth Day calls to action had many options for those who wish to support climate justice but can’t financially afford the lifestyle change. Buying sustainable products or choosing green energy can be costly - keeping some changes out of reach for some families.  

See the calls to action below for activities we can and should do any and every day.

Share your Hope for the Earth

This call to action struck me as particularly relevant right now. This was meant to be sharing your hope for nature on Earth Day, but sharing all our hopes can be a very powerful and positive tool. It connects us - emotionally, and as a network to help each other achieve our mutual goals for the planet. The United Nations is calling this time the Decade on Restoration. It’s my hope that we will not only restore our environment but that our broken and hurt society may also be restored.

Litter clean up  

We often think of this as a large group of people cleaning up a particularly littered area for a day. But this is something you can do every day. Keep a pair of gloves in your backpack or purse and pick up whatever you find whenever you’re walking about.

Create for the earth

Our creativity - our art, music, voices, stories - can be used to draw attention to needed climate action and the value of our mother earth. This is something I never would have thought of but it is incredibly valuable.

Asking your faith leaders to speak publicly about climate action. 

This is something that blew me away. In Christianity as in Judaism we are called to be stewards of God’s creation; Buddhism calls for balance; and Islam calls for harmony between humans and nature - it is quite clear that faith is intrinsically linked with environmentalism. Our faith leaders have a public platform and have the trust of their people – they have a very powerful opportunity to bring attention to this issue. And as people of faith we can support each other in our journey.

Make your next meal plant based

I was so encouraged by how many people shared their experiences and thoughts on vegetarianism, dietary issues, plastic food packaging, and many other nuances about the environmental and social consequences of our food consumption. It’s very clear that people are passionate and want to learn more about this complex issue. My personal goal will be to evaluate my eating/purchasing habits, as well as to educate myself better on where my food comes from and what impact it has - meat, grains, produce, pre-packaged goods, everything! So that I can in turn share with you all.

Contacting your representatives

Municipal, provincial, and federal! It’s important now more than ever to remind your political leaders that they are responsible to their people and that their people demand climate action for our physical health and the well being of the planet. If you have a major election coming up, voting is an excellent way to ensure those in power are focused on what’s important.

Pollinators and Pesticides

Spring is upon us and gardening season (indoor at least) is beginning. Now is the perfect time to learn more about pollinators and pesticides.

A Call for Green Spaces

This is especially relevant to those of us in Alberta as our government seeks to privatize our provincial parks. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) held a rally from home on April 17  but we can rally for green space every day! Click here for more information on how to take action. 

Creating a Community

 Get your friends, neighbors, and community involved. Sharing your knowledge, encouraging them to vote, showing them how you’re changing your own habits can all be huge! Having an ongoing community discussion can help to bring up topics that are relevant locally and to make changes at those levels.

Plant a forest 

There are so many tree planting initiatives you can support or participate in here in Canada and around the world. Closer to home, you can always plant some trees in your yard.

Protecting endangered species 

If you’re an animal lover this may be close to your heart. Some Canadian organizations you can look into are the WildNorth, a wildlife hospital and rehabilitation center in Alberta, and World Wildlife Fund Canada. Or if you’d like to broaden your scope you can find  a list of 10 more organizations that help endangered animals here.

Call for clean energy 

We use power every day - and especially in Canadian winters, we need to heat our homes. So how do we do that sustainably? Building a geothermally heated home and even solar panels can be out of people’s price ranges but like I’ve mentioned in my previous post you can always ask your current provider what green energy options are available to you.

Act on plastic pollution

This might be the action that comes to mind when you think of earth day but it’s not always obvious as to what acting on plastic pollution means. Plastic is ubiquitous; it’s in our clothes, our children’s toys, our daily hygiene products, and everything else. Every day actions and being aware of our trash habits will help us move towards a cleaner planet. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (in that order) but remember to Refuse also. Say no to plastic goodie-bags at the dentist, at birthday parties, and at conferences. Quit accepting items you’ll never use, just because they’re free.

A final reflection

We live in turbulent but exciting times. Since starting this blog and its associated Instagram community, my sustainability knowledge has exploded. I am so extremely encouraged by all the amazing people out there doing amazing things and encouraging others to do amazing things. Earth Day has only added fuel to the fire. I’ve been so stressed out about what to share with you all but it’s clear that people are eager to do whatever it is they can, however they can manage to do so.

I’m so excited to make every day earth day and I hope you are too! I challenge you to make a climate action schedule. Plunk in one of these activities every week for the next year. OR, make it twice a week or every day depending on how much time you have on your hands. Alternatively, please share your earth day activities, goals, and excitements with me below!