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April 17, 2020
Celebrated on April 22 of each year, Earth Day has a long and rich tradition of inspiring people around the globe to take care of the planet. It’s one of those rare holidays where the event encourages people into positive action all year long.
Here at Chariot Energy, our entire business model is built around providing people a tangible way of being eco-friendly in everyday life, so Earth Day is especially important to us. To commemorate this day, we want to share some of our favorite ways to channel your environmental activism into life-changing habits.
Show Your Love for the Planet with Social Distancing
As we write this post, the world is contending with the challenging situation created by the COVID-19 virus. Entire cities, states, and regions are under “Stay At Home” orders from their political leaders as medical professionals care for those who are sick and seek a cure. This obviously prevents gathering together to celebrate Earth Day and engage in all manner of eco-friendly activities.
Thus, the Earth Day Network has organized its first-ever “global digital mobilization” to help people celebrate this day in a way that honors the call for “social distancing.” To aid with this, we’ve limited our collection of activities to things you can do in your home and immediate yard. The best way each of us can aid the planet at this time is to do our part to “flatten the curve” of this global pandemic.
1. Learn About Earth Day & Why It’s Important
Let’s start by reviewing the core facts and historical points about Earth Day. Often, the best way to carry forth the ideals of a movement is to understand its origins.
- The event was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.
- It was inspired by the tragic events of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA.
- The event was designed to appeal to college students. It borrowed from the organizing principles of the anti-war movement, and the April date didn’t interfere with midterms or finals.
- April 22, 1970 was the first Earth Day.
- Over 20 million people gathered in cities across America to learn how to care for the planet.
- The event is considered by many to be the birth of the modern environmental movement.
- It’s directly credited with the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and three monumental pieces of legislation:
- Clean Air Act
- Clean Water Act
- Endangered Species Act.
- Though the event started in America, it’s now celebrated at the international level as “Mother Earth Day.”
2. Engage Your Kids with Eco-Friendly Education & Crafts
Since Earth Day started a way to teach people how to take care of the planet, your celebrations should also be inspirational, practical, and fun. By teaching kids at an early age to love, appreciate, and care for the planet, they’ll carry those habits through their entire lives.
Learn the history behind this historic day
We shared a few of these above, but there are multiple sources of detailed information about Earth Day you can reference to learn all about this amazing event. We recommend the following:
Do some Earth Day-inspired arts and crafts
Once you explore that essential information about Earth Day, you’re ready to engage in some fun activities! The links below provide a host of Earth-centric activities, complete with worksheets you can download and various art projects:
Build a birdhouse or bird feeder
Our favorite activity deserved its own entry. Projects like this are easier to complete than you might think, as you can purchase easy-to-assemble kits online and have them delivered to your home.
They also provide a specific Earth-friendly benefit by attracting both birds and bees to your backyard. Not only will you enjoy seeing these delightful creatures flit and fly around your yard, but they will aid with pollination of flowers and plants in your region. Some excellent options to order your birdy abode include:
Take a walk with the family
Yes, we are supposed to practice safe social distancing wherein we stay at least 6 feet away from other people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go outside safely!
Put on some comfy clothes, sport your best walking shoes, have everyone wear a mask or bandana, and take some hand sanitizer. As long as you’re safe, this activity will help everyone appreciate nature while also getting out of the house to relieve some tension.
3. Adopt Green Living Practices
We’ve talked many times in other blog posts and articles about ways you can go green to help the planet. While these tips aren’t necessarily new, celebrating Earth Day is a great time to adopt some new eco-friendly habits in your home.
Easy-to-implement green living practices
If you’re new to green living, start small with tasks that are simple to adopt, as they’re focused on changing your consumption.
- Switch to recyclable items for everyday use: water bottles, towels, etc.
- Use less water
- Start recycling
- Eliminate single-use items, especially bottled water
- Buying a tree certificate, since you can’t get outside to plant your own
- Going paperless with bills and payments
- Planting native wildflowers to attract birds and bees
- Buying eco-friendly cleaning products
- Switching to a green energy company
Next-level green living practices you can tackle
If you’re experienced with green tactics, this is the perfect time to ramp up your efforts to lower your carbon footprint and be a better global citizen.
- Start a garden
- Start a compost pile
- Carpool or take public transportation
- Ride a bike
- Shop local at farmers markets
- Eat less meat
- Cook at home more
- Make your own eco-friendly cleaning products
- Set specific times to reduce your electricity usage
For additional insight into adopting eco-friendly habits into your home, we recommend these Chariot Energy resources:
- 6 Ways You Can Go Green
- Your Guide to the 4 R’s of Green Living
- 10 Ways to Be More Environmentally Friendly in 2020
- How Can I Help My Family Go Green?
- How Does Green Energy Work in Texas?
- 25 Green Living Tips for Every Home
4. Employ Energy Efficiency Tips to Lower Your Carbon Footprint
There is a strong connection between eco-friendly living and using less energy in your home. When you create a more energy-efficient home, you’re showing love for your environment by reducing your carbon footprint and the emissions created from electricity generation.
And even if you’re on a solar energy plan from Chariot Energy that doesn’t create any emissions, using fewer resources showcases your commitment to creating a better planet.
If you need a launching pad for becoming energy-conscious, we recommend starting here:
- Turn off lights when you leave the room
- Switch to LED light bulbs
- Use a programmable thermostat with energy-efficient settings
- Unplug electronics when not in use
- Fix faucets & leaks
- Lower your hot water heater’s temperature to 200 degrees F
For additional insights, tips, and suggestions for how you can lower your home’s energy usage in celebration of Earth Day, Chariot Energy can help!
- 30 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy-Efficient
- The 29 Easiest Ways to Conserve Energy at Home
- 10 Easy Ways You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
- How to Slay Vampire Electricity in Your Home
- What Uses the Most Electricity in Your Home
Earth Day is for Everyone!
Earth Day truly is a day where all of us can come together for the good of the planet and for each other. Join Chariot Energy on April 22 (and every other day of the year) in becoming better global citizens by making changes to your life that improve our world.
