One Step at a Time – Earth Day!
April 22 is Earth Day. What are you doing to keep the planet healthy?
It can feel like a daunting task to change your habits to reduce the damage done to the planet through carbon emissions, plastic pollution, and any number of other unhealthy practices that increase the scope of the climate crisis.
After all, we are just one person! And there are far larger entities (looking at you, global corporations) doing far greater harm. How can our own environmentally sound acts compete with large-scale damage?
But… what’s the alternative? Not trying? Not an option.
And that’s the wonderful thing about Earth Day. It’s a chance to share ideas, join together to make a larger difference, and realize that no one person holds the solution to climate change. Instead, it’s a shared responsibility. It’s a task that will take everyone doing a small part (or a large part – again, looking at you, global corporations) to improve their own ways of being in the world.
Kids seem to understand this better than adults. When we’re young, for most of us, small acts of improvement are all that’s within reach. So, it makes sense to plant one tree, recycle as much of your own waste as you can, use a cloth rag instead of a paper towel. As much as children learn from us how to take care of the earth, we learn from them that every small step counts.
So, what are you doing this weekend to save the earth? Here are some ideas!
- Walk or ride a bike – Instead of piling into the car for a trip to town, can you get there on your own steam?
- Plant a native bush in your yard – By choosing to plant vegetation that’s native to your area, you are helping support a sustainable ecosystem that benefits all living creatures.
- Watch a documentary about Planet Earth – The more we know about our home planet, the better equipped we are to take care of it.
- Become a Citizen Scientist – There are loads of opportunities to help the scientists who are studying the best ways to keep our planet healthy.
- Write to your elected officials – Saving the planet is a shared responsibility, and we need politicians to put pressure on large corporations to align their business practices with the well-being of all species.
- Read a book about Planet Earth – Arm yourself with knowledge!
Try composting! Learn how with this activity from PLANET EARTH!
