Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment, celebrated on 22 April. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental teach-in in 1970. Earth Day proved popular in the United States and around the world, and is now observed in several countries each year. The first Earth Day had participants and celebrants in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it “brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favour of environmental reform.” It is now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the non profit Earth Day Network, according to which Earth Day is now “the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year.” Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action which changes human behavior and provokes policy changes.

A few things each one of us can do this Earth Day

• Switch out incandescent light bulbs and replace them with energy-saving compact fluorescent (CFLs) which use 75% less energy or light emitting diodes (LEDs) which use 90% less energy

• Open the windows for some fresh air when the weather is pleasant instead of running the mechanical heating or cooling system

• Walk or use a bicycle for short distances

• Start a compost pile, or buy a compost bin to deposit your leaves and kitchen waste.

• Carpool – get together with your co-workers and share a car to work and back.

• Adopt a beach, a park, or a street and help keep it clean.

• Have a garage sale. You will be surprised at what people buy at garage sales. You’ll earn some money; clean out your home and help your unwanted articles find new homes.

• Unplug rechargeable devices such as cell phone chargers, digital cameras, etc., even though these devices are in standby mode

• Plug TVs, DVD players, electronics, and computer equipment into power strips and turn off at night or when you leave to avoid power that is constantly lost.

• It is advisable to use coffee mugs and water bottles that are reusable in place of disposables.

• Common household items such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides contain hazardous components. Although we cannot completely stop using these products, we can ensure that leftovers are properly stored or disposed of.

• Inflate your tires: Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them every month. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year

• Install a low - flow showerhead: Using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year

• When building or remodelling homes, we can for instance use earth friendly products like flooring made of cork or bamboo - both renewable resources

• Refrigerator temperatures should be set at about 40 degrees, give or take a degree or two. Freezer temps between 0 and 5 degrees are just right. Colder settings waste energy and does not help the food.

• The soft plastic holders on soft drink cans and other products can entangle birds, fish, and small animals. Tear apart each ring before throwing it in the trash, or inquire whether they can be recycled locally.

• Never throw spent batteries in the trash. They contain mercury, a hazardous substance that will leak into groundwater or when burned, release toxins into the air. Either switch to rechargeable batteries or collect used batteries in a shoebox, take them to a recycling facility once or twice a year.

• Try to design a course around a relevant environmental feature or issue

• Conduct an energy conservation or “Off the Grid” day. This would be a targeted fair where all the exhibits and activities have to do with recycling or energy education.

• Organize a hike through a nearby forest, or any endangered habitat to understand the importance of conservation

• Many cities now have public television and radio stations where you can produce your own show. Consider putting together an environmental show for Earth Day and involve local students in its production.

• Paint an educational Earth Day mural. You can hold a contest in local school or ask a local artist to paint

• Remove exotic invasive species; work with local botanists, biologists, and land owners to determine the scope and needs of each ecosystem.

• Set up a letter writing or petition table on endangered species, buying recycled products, reducing pollution or whatever be the relevant environmental topic in your area

• Start a computer email list for local conservation and environmental alerts, notices of public hearings and event announcements.

These are a few measures that each one of us can adopt to help reduce the impact on mother earth. It’s time to move from small steps to larger systemic action. And larger does not mean bigger protests and events, it means pushing for actions that have real and measurable improvements for the environment. It’s about moving from individual gestures to engaging companies and governments and getting them to make changes based on available ideas. q

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