“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
Jane Goodall
Did you know the first Earth Day took place nearly 50 years ago on April 22, 1970? Pretty amazing huh! Something even more amazing is that more than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
At the root of the meaning behind this auspicious day is the goals of long-term global sustainability, a.k.a making sure we’re able to co-exist with the world in ways that enable a couple of key things: productive harmony, stability, and resilience to support both present and future generations.
And while Earth Day seems to bring out feelings of peace and harmony wouldn’t it be nice if we all lived as if every day was Earth Day? Imagine every single person fully realizing that each decision we make, big or small, impacts the future!
From how long we take a shower to if we use recyclable bags when grocery shopping, our actions, and in some cases in-action, can have serious consequences.
For me, even though I grew up in New York City (not the shiniest example for being environmentally-consciously) I was raised in a household that always talked about respecting the land, respecting the earth, and respecting our resources.
Heck, I remember my first book report in Kindergarten being on the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) and CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon). Then as if the environmental police were watching my every move, I’d dart through the house frantically sorting through our trash for plastics and recyclables and chucking out all things aerosol, but not before my stern conversation with the adults in the room that HFCs hydrochlorofluorocarbons and pump mists were they way to go!
A little precocious, I was. Now though, we look back fondly at my budding activist self and know there’s still work to do.
Some of the ways I try to expand upon my days living the 3R’s are by continuing to practice being environmentally conscious. This can be something as simple as:
- Saving up unused bread or unfinished bags of nuts and sprinkling them in a park for animals to store during cold months
- Changing consumption habits like using a refillable cold/hot water thermos instead of purchasing plastic bottled drinks when outside
- Volunteering or shopping at sustainable companies and organizations
- Examining your worldview and those around you—where you can plant the seed of what you’ve learned and hope others do the same!
Point is, even if you weren’t as environmentally conscious before or even if you live in an area where you don’t necessarily see it being promoted, doesn’t mean the world will be fine without your awesome contributions!
Want some more musings? Check out some of my other posts:
How do you take part in Earth Day?
14 Comments
Earth Day is a good annual reminder of how we should be focusing our efforts the other 364 days of the year.
Such a great way to phrase that!
These are great ideas. We should work so much harder to reduce and recycle.
So true! We’re doing good but we could do sooooo much better!
I love EVERYTHING about this!!! There needs to be awareness everyday!
I couldn’t agree more! We should put protecting the environment at the top of our list!
We definitely try our best to do our part daily by reusing certain items to reduce waste, using reusable bottles, and other things. I like having Earth Day to help highlight our planet’s needs, but it’s definitely something we need to be doing daily!
100% agree. All of the little actions add up and applying them daily helps so much!
Love the breadcrumbs idea ❤️ You know, when I was a child we talked about recycling at school and I started annoying my parents about it so much that they have been the first in my town to start doing it ?
Anyway, it is so true: every small decision we make, it has an impact on the future. And making informed, thoughtful decisions is the key to make everyday Earth day. So let’s do this! We have the power ??
Federica | bitsoflifestyle.wordpress.com
High five to pushing our parents to get more into recycling! It’s so important, like you said, to be cognizant of our actions and how much they impact our future!
Here’s to making the change!
Love the post about awareness. I think starting to make little changes to be more environmentally aware are a game changer for all. Thank you for sharing!
It’s the little changes that for sure make a big difference over time! Things like switching to a metal straw or using recyclable bags definitely help!
So glad you liked the post!
I never really understood Earth Day. I guess it’s because I feel like we should all have a vested interest in saving our planet.
We should definitely be taking care of our planet all the time! I think it came about to highlight the importance of environmental protection and rights, and people have just clung to the day!