Native American Proverb
Did you know that the first Earth Day was celebrated by the United States on April 22, 1970 to promote the preservation of the environment? Earth Day is now a global event each year, and it is believed that more than 1 billion people in 192 countries now take part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world.
It is a day of political action and civic participation. People march, sign petitions, meet with their elected officials, plant trees, clean up their towns and roads. Corporations and governments use it to make pledges and announce sustainability measures. Faith leaders, including Pope Francis, connect Earth Day with protecting God’s greatest creations, humans, biodiversity and the planet that we all live on.
This year’s campaign is to End Plastic Pollution. Stand up! Join up! Take action!
From poisoning and injuring marine life to disrupting human hormones, from littering our beaches and landscapes to clogging our waste streams and landfills, the exponential growth of plastics is now threatening the survival of our planet.
In response, Earth Day 2018 will focus on fundamentally changing human attitude and behavior about plastics and catalyzing a significant reduction in plastic pollution.
Step One: Learn
Download your Plastic Pollution Primer to learn more about this problem and act to help End Plastic Pollution! This toolkit includes information about plastic pollution, a Plastic Pollution Footprint Calculator, a tool to create your Personal Plastics Plan and to track your progress.
Plastic Pollution Primer and Action Toolkit
Step Two: Engage
Take personal responsibility to end plastic pollution and make a pledge to reduce your use of plastic: https://www.earthday.org/stop-using-disposable-plastic/. Don't forget to tell others and invite them to join you.
Step Three: Take small steps:
There are dozens of small things your kids can do every day to save energy and keep the world cleaner and greener. Here are some ways you can encourage your kids to go green during Earth Day and if your child develops good habits now, they’ll endure as he/she grows.
- Switch off the light when leaving a room and turn off the TV when no longer watching.
- Shut off the water when brushing teeth
- Walk, ride a bike or take the bus instead of traveling by car
- Take faster showers or baths in just a small amount of water
- Help hang clothes on the line instead of putting them in the dryer
- Choose products that are not over packaged
- Join a local park, river or beach clean-up
- Use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products
So tell me, what is your contribution to Earth Day?
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