“Climate change”, “global warming”, “going green” have been buzz words of the last decade but long before that, in 1969, the seeds were sown in America to maximise the increasing public consciousness about air and water pollution, which would later become an international Earth Day.
World Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd each year. Dubbed the world’s largest environment movement, the world environment day is a powerful and united display in support of the protection of the planet we all share. It’s a message Evergreen Group and Evergreen Energy are strong advocates of, a passion that fuels their provision of clean, sustainable and efficient energy solutions like heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage.
From its grassroots in the States where it accomplished rare cross-party political agreement, leading to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and many environmentally conscious laws, world Earth Day involves 193 countries and rallies 1 billion people to invest in our planet today.
Why is international Earth Day important?
Humanity is doing more harm than good to the environment. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the past decade is likely to have been the hottest period in the last 125,000 years. We’re to blame, with rising temperatures correlating almost precisely with greenhouse gases emissions.
What’s more, the IPCC states with very high confidence that climate change has negatively impacted the physical health of people worldwide and the mental health of populations in certain regions.
Unfortunately, it’s not just temperatures taking a hit. Up to one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, with 12 million hectares of land being wasted to desertification, land degradation and drought. It’s clear that world Earth Day is needed to spark not just awareness, but enduring and effective action all year round.
How to celebrate Earth Day
Below are just some examples of how you can celebrate and make a difference.
- Plant trees to provide a sanctuary for animals, insects and birds alike. It’s a handy way to pique children’s curiosity (getting them out in nature is great for their health, after all!) and you can help Earthday.org, who organise a lot of international Earth Day events, with their canopy project.
- Participate in an outdoor clean up – with the RSPCA receiving an average of 10 calls a day concerning animals impacted by litter, there’s never been a better excuse to grab your friends and family and join or organise a litter pick, be it on the beach, in the woods or streets – as a bonus, it’d be healthy exercise!
- Reduce your foodprint, which measures the environmental effects linked with the growing, producing, transporting, and storing of our food. Avoid wasting food, shop local, or even try your hand at growing your own veggies!
- Walk the sustainable fashion show catwalk – and, if you’d rather leave that to the models, you could host your own sustainable fashion event, treat yourself to second-hand clothing or garments made from 100% recycled materials, such as 100% recycled polyester, viscose (rayon), arrange a fun clothes swap with friends, learn how to repair clothes yourself or sign Earthday.org’s Fashion Industry Must Change petition.
- Embrace conservation by joining local events that involve the great outdoors, from putting up bird and bat boxes to planting wildflowers. Alternatively, you could engage in citizen science by learning about and keeping valuable tabs on nature – think bird, plant, pollinator and honey monitoring.
- Challenge friends and family with quizzes about all things eco-friendly. Covering themes of Climate and Emissions, Individual Action and Conservation and Restoration, Earthday.org is brimming with quizzes to test your knowledge.
- Channel your creative side by designing and exhibiting an Earth Day poster, producing a short film or song about Earth Day or organising an Earth Day art exhibition. Tapping into your creativity can harness your sense of purpose and flow and even lead to increased levels of happiness.
- Join the 4,400 + signatures by signing the Climate Education Coalition Open Letter calling for the COP28 UAE Presidency and every UN member state to cooperate and highlight climate education as a vital element of combating the climate crisis.
No matter how you celebrate world Earth Day, we hope you have fun doing it, are able to involve your local community and inspire others, perhaps by sharing on social media.
As mentioned above, helping heal the planet will also ultimately benefit our mental and physical health. The free Evergreen Life app can help you explore many areas of your health and wellbeing, including your sleep, nutrition, fitness, gut health and more.
Reviewed by:
Anna Keeble MA BA Head of Content and Wellbeing Expert
Dr Brian Fisher MBBch MBE MSc FRSA – Clinical Director
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- Climate Education Coalition (2023) Climate Education Coalition Open Letter. Climate Education Coalition.
- Earthday.org (n.d.) Act on Climate Change Artists for the Earth. Earthday.org.
- Earthday.org (n.d.) How much do you know about our earth? Test your knowledge! Earth Day Quizzes. Earthday.org.
- Earthday.org (n.d.) Join the Great Global Clean-up. Earthday.org.
- Earthday.org (n.d.) The Canopy Project. Earthday.org.
- Earthday.org. (n.d.) The History of Earth Day. Earthday.org.
- Earthday.org (n.d.) Register a Cleanup. Earthday.org.
- Earthday.org (n.d.) Show Your Support: The Fashion Industry Must Change. Earthday.org.
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- North London Waste Authority (2022) How to run your own sustainable fashion event. North London Waste Authority.
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- Tees Valley Wildlife Trust (2023) Earth Day at Bonny Grove. Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.
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- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (2023) Citizen Science. UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
- United Nations (2021) High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought. United Nations.