Earth Day Network, the nonprofit which organizes the coordination of Earth Day celebrations worldwide, is focusing on Restore our Earth for the April 22, 2021 annual celebration. According to their press release, the theme recognizes that natural system processes and emerging green technologies can be utilized to restore ecosystems and forests, conserve and rebuild soils, improve farming practices, restore wildlife populations and rid the world’s oceans of plastics. The Restore Our Earth theme seeks to highlight the interconnectedness of global environmental degradation and human health. To read their full announcement, visit www.earthday.org.
Real and sustainable change takes massive coordination between scientists, non-profits, business and governments to move the needle. As an individual, it can be difficult to imagine how you can make a difference. Here’s a couple ways you as an individual or a household can be part of the solution to Restore our Earth.
Be Informed, Be Curious
Awareness of the problem helps you be part of the solution. Find trusted news sources, follow science-based agencies on social media and research environmental issues. Podcasts offer an engaging way to learn more about environmental issues and scientific topics. Here are some of the favorites of the Asbury Woods staff:
Living on Earth: https://www.loe.org/
Sustainably Geeky: https://www.epicallygeeky.com/sustainably-geeky
Threshold: https://www.thresholdpodcast.org/
Make Incremental Personal Changes
Use this Carbon Footprint Calculator https://www.conservation.org/carbon-footprint-calculator#/ to assess your personal carbon impact on the environment, compare to U.S. averages and get tips on how you can reduce your impact. Remember, small incremental changes often add up to bigger long-term impact than drastic changes that you can’t sustain. For example, changing to an entirely vegan diet might be unrealistic but committing to a few days per week of a plant-based diet could be sustainable for you.
Participate in a Citizen Science Project
The interconnectedness of what happens on one side of the planet to what happens globally couldn’t be more apparent after witnessing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Scientists trying to solve massive global climate and environmental problems rely on hundreds of thousands of people around the world collecting and recording data to help spot trends, identify emerging crisis and to even to celebrate.