hover background

Mar 29
2013

Earth Day is observed annually on April 22nd and is celebrated worldwide, by 192 countries, with events to help demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was officially designated “Earth Day” in 1970. Here are some ways you can get involved!

Celebrate your Environment with these Suggestions for At Home

• Spend time at home with your family to learn about a region you aren’t familiar with, like the Artic, different deserts or rainforests. Or, learn more about endangered species, water shortage and climate changes

• Do a nature project at home. Make homemade birdhouses out of recycled material or pinecones, plant flowers or a small garden

• Hold a garage sale & donate – charities can resell for much needed cash & others can benefit from things we don’t really need

• Make an Earth-friendly cleaning product – such as vinegar & water to clean counter tops or using orange based cleaner instead of Clorox

• Cook a special Earth Day Meal – use locally produced foods, they have minimal impact on the environment, decorate the table with recycled donations made by you and your children and friends

• Plan a family nature hike. Go to a new park every year and explore nature

• Arrange a day with your neighborhood to pick up litter and make your community a nicer place

• Develop an ‘energy-savings’ plan with your family. Use energy efficient light bulbs, change settings on your refrigerator and other electrical devices. Plan for a ‘black-out’ one day, no lights, no electric devices and walk or bike wherever you need to go

Fun Ways to be Environmentally Friendly At Work

• Host an Earth Day potluck lunch. Encourage staff to bring their own reusable plate and utensils and an item that does not require reheating or plugging in. Salads, cold sandwiches, and fruit are good choices. Each year Americans throw away enough plastic cups, forks and spoons to circle the equator 300 times!

• Have fun promoting Earth Day –for the month! Wear green & brown. Make fun badges you can wear or give to your patients.

• Ride your bike to commute to school or work. Or another form of human powered transportation. If that isn’t possible, plan a day to carpool with your coworkers. Put a sign-up sheet in a common area that people can connect with co-workers in their area and carpool. Removing just one passenger vehicle from the road for one day can save over 32 pounds of CO2!

• Promote recycling. Divide into team and recycle as much as you can in one day, or one week. Reward the team who collects the most recyclable material with a gift card to a local, environmentally friendly restaurant or store! A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can in as little as 60 days.

• Host an e-waste collection day, week or month. Provide a collection box & encourage staff & patients to bring in old electronics from home. In many areas, e-recycle companies will drop off a bin, as well as lists of accepted items, and comeback to pick it all up within a few days! Consumer electronics may be responsible for up to 40% of metal found in landfills.

• Plan a community day project. Find an organization you can help by planting trees or just arrange a “clean up day”. Cleaning up litter in your community, roadways, highways, neighborhood streets, are great projects for offices and clubs.