Happy Earth Day!
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Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! While Earth Day celebrations across the globe have been cancelled, there are PLENTY of ways to celebrate Earth Day from the comfort of your own home today and every day!
Earth Day is a day that I look forward to every year. It’s a day to celebrate the earth and all that it she gives us. It’s also a day to reflect and see what changes we can make to improve our surroundings and daily habits to ensure that future generations get to enjoy all the beauty around us.
The world has been at a standstill for the past few months due to COVID-19 with most people staying home. While it has been a time with a lot of unknowns and concerns, there have been many positives that have had a effect on the earth!
Families are spending more time together, cooking at home, supporting local farmers, farmers markets, and small businesses, and not going places. The air is cleaner, waters are clearing, and it’s really allowed us to appreciate what we have around us.
So, how does one celebrate Earth Day everyday? There are SO many ways, and this is a great time to get creative! For those that are just starting out, I have gathered some tips below on how YOU can celebrate Earth Day every day from the comfort of your own home!
How to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day from Home
1. Educate Yourself
Do you have access to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime? How about Youtube? Great! Did you know there are LOADS of documentaries worth watching on many different topics having to do with the planet and environment? Now is a GREAT time to watch and learn about environmental toxins, climate change, and corruption, and how they effect you and the earth.
There are far too many to list, but these are definitely worth a watch:
- The Devil We Know (2018) – This documentary touches on how chemical companies have knowingly created toxic PFAS chemicals, which have polluted drinking water and homes. This story was later turned into a movie last year called Dark Waters starring Mark Ruffalo
- STINK! (2015) – STINK! follows the journey of a Dad that wanted to find out what chemicals were lingering in a pair of pajamas that he purchased for his daughter. Essentially, this delves into the world of toxic chemicals in every day products such as perfumes and laundry detergents and their effects on us.
- Dirty Money Series on Netflix – There are many topics covered here, but it uncovers the corruption behind each topic. Season 2, episode 6 called Point Comfort covers a small town in Texas and a massive plastics plant that became toxic for their community.
- The Eleventh Hour (2007) – I first saw this documentary for an assignment in my freshman college English class. Leonardo Decaprio portrays the state of the earth in regards to global warming.
- Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008) and Tapped (2009) – Both of these documentaries cover the topic of water. Blue Gold will educate you on who owns the public water across the globe, and both documentaries touch on how water companies are literally stealing water from cities across the country to bottle it and sell it for a profit. WATCH THESE!
- Ingredients, Forks Over Knives, Food, Inc., Fed Up, Wasted! The Story of Food Waste, Hungry For Change, Food Matters, and Cowspiracy are some of my favorite documentaries that touch on the various aspects of our food systems and nutrition.
2. Start a Garden
We have the opportunity to plant a garden right now! Don’t have a yard? Start an indoor container or window herb garden! You can grab seeds from your local plant nursery, or order sustainable seeds online from places like the Sustainable Seed Co..
3. Support Local Farmers
It is SO important to support your local farmers and businesses! The food supply chain has been deeply impacted by COVID-19. Supporting local farmers not only keeps them in business, but you benefit by getting the freshest, most nutritionally dense, seasonal produce. Typically, farmers sell their produce that was picked fresh that day or the day before. You can either go to the farmers market, buy directly from the farmer, or join a CSA box and get a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly assortment of fresh veggies. Locate a local farmers market, farmer, or CSA program at Local Harvest.
Also, be mindful of what produce you are buying! Some produce tests higher for toxins and should always be purchased organic! Below, you will find the dirty dozen (produce tested with the highest amounts of toxic chemicals), and the clean fifteen, which don’t have to be organic. The Environmental Working Group provides these lists and testing yearly.
Strawberries are number ONE on the dirty dozen, and ONE strawberry has been tested to have residue of over 20 toxic chemicals. Buy organic!!
4. Start a Compost Bin
Food waste is a huge problem in our country and around the world. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30-40% of food supply turns into food waste. That’s A LOT! Start a compost big at home if you can. If not, at least start to save and freeze your vegetable scraps to make vegetable stock or soup! Every little big helps to help reduce this number!
5. Start the Switch to Non-toxic, Eco-friendly Products
Now is the perfect time to start the switch to non-toxic and eco-friendly products! If you’re new to this, that’s okay! Luckily, Earth Hero is a one stop shop for everything you need to get started! Even better, they are offering 15% off your entire order through the 27th, AND donating a meal for each order through the Food Recovery Network. Just use the code EARTHWEEK. They even have starter kits that are very convenient!
Supporting companies such as Earth Hero is very important! Earth Hero is a Certified B Corporation. What does that mean?
Check out all of the great products offered at Earth Hero here!
6. Unplug
Spending so much time at home while social distancing can become overwhelming and cause anxiety or depression. Don’t forget to unplug from all of your electronics and social media. Take a break not only for yourself, but for the environment!
Talk a walk or run, read a book, meditate, practice yoga, or do an at home workout. Take a nap, start that organization project you’ve been putting off, or just sit outside and enjoy the sun!