Today (Wednesday, April 22, 2020) marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day!
While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many plans for the annual environmental event, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the occasion and care for our planet from home.
Here is a list of 50 things people can do (while social distancing) to bring greater awareness and appreciation for the planet ― both on Earth Day and throughout the year.
- Plant a tree in your yard.
- Sign up for emails from environmental organizations like 350.org, National Resource Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy and The Sierra Club.
- Contact your elected representatives to ask them to take action on climate change and environmental protection.
- Make donations to local, state, national and global environmental organizations.
- Host a virtual celebration and ask guests to donate to their preferred environmental organization.
- Make art using recycled materials.
- Read books about environmentalism and climate change.
- Repurpose old clothes you were planning to toss.
- Watch animals on your local zoo’s livestream.
- Unplug electronics when they aren’t in use.
- Volunteer for a political campaign for a candidate with an environmental policy platform you support.
- Create a “plastic swear jar.”
- Register for One Earth Film Festival’s virtual mini-fest or The Earth Day Film Fest’s “Global Selection” screenings.
- Bring plants into your home.
- Switch to paperless bank statements and other bills.
- Launch a Facebook fundraiser for an environmental organization.
- Make your own cleaning products.
- Post what you’re doing to support the environment on Earth Day on social media and encourage people in your networks to take similar steps.
Take this time to enjoy something you love.
We know these times can be trying on us all, mentally and physically, so why not take advantage of this little bit of extra time and use it for something you enjoy?
