10 Ideas to Celebrate Earth Day from Home (and Make a Difference)

Did you know it takes between 50 and 1000 yrs for a plastic object to break down?  And the average plastic bag takes around 500 years to decompose?

Should we then stop using plastics entirely?  Well the answer is not that simple.  Especially considering the improvement of transportation efficiency and reduction in weight and waste as a result of using plastics over some traditional materials.

Feel like you are missing out on the tulip celebrations and gardens that are exploding in bloom this time of year?

Visiting local gardens is an awesome way to get a feel for what plants grow well in your area and what to avoid.  While I love heading to box stores to check out plants, the reality is you may be planting weeds and not knowing it.  Plants such as Butterfly Bush are devastating the ecological system by unknowing gardeners planting them in their gardens.

Nature is critically important for both the health of the air we breathe and also our souls.  Head out to a natural area, I mean obviously being in the woods is ideal, but a park or the backyard can work too.  If you can’t make it to a natural area you can also do this in your living room; however, you’ll need to tune into some nature sounds.  It will give you the feeling of being outdoors.  Try tuning into Park Tracks, sounds of the national parks.

To practice mindfulness:  Set a timer for at least 5 minutes.  Stand or sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes.  You’ll likely find that your mind wanders to things you need to do, stress you out, etc.  If this happens don’t worry.  The goal is really to be one with (or part of) nature.  Focus on the sounds and smells.  What do you see and hear?  If you are in the forest: what can you smell, see and feel?  Take time to crush some pine needles or grass, inhale the smell and relax.

And by go birding I literally mean take time to enjoy the birds.  They are everywhere and we don’t often notice them.  A great way to celebrate Earth Day from home is to search your area for birds.  What kinds of birds frequent your area?  What do they eat?  How can you help protect them?

Birds are a critical part of the ecosystem helping to pollinate plants, spread seeds, control pests, amongst other tasks critical to the environment.  The often-forgotten birds are critical to our survival on the planet.  If you are visiting Utah check out Brigham City to learn more about birding at the Migratory Refuge.

Whether you can plant a full garden in your backyard or a few plants on your deck or porch, growing your own food can bring a tremendous sense of accomplishment.  Celebrate Earth Day from home this year by trying to grow tomatoes, peppers, lettuce or another of your favorites.  Not only will you find you’ll eat more vegetables, but the taste is so much earthier than what you buy in the grocery store.

Lakes and ecosystems have been destroyed by over reliance on chemicals needed to grow strong crops.  While some amounts of these are needed to ensure enough food exists for us all, natural growing can reduce overall demand.

I grew up on a beef farm so I am by no means against eating meat or using animal products.  In general though, as a population we eat a tremendous amount of meat.  Most healthy eating plans will recommend eating no more than 2 servings, 6 oz daily.  If you buy a steak from the grocery store it’ll often be in excess of 6 oz making one meal fill your daily limit.

Eating a more plant-based diet is healthier in the long term and reduces the amount of carbon released to the atmosphere through various farming activities.  To celebrate Earth Day from home this year try adding this small step.

One of the largest contributors to global warming and air pollution in general is vehicle emissions.  We live in the Salt Lake Valley and like many large cities the pollution can get quite bad in the winter.  Since we are nestled between two mountain ranges, lack of wind traps pollution in the valley making the air quality terrible.

During the pandemic and subsequent lock downs around the world, air pollution around the world has significantly subsided.  This is due in part to less people driving around.  Really makes you wonder…

Next time you head out to your local grocery store look for products that are produced within your state or county.  What better way to celebrate Earth Day from home than to shop local?  Another great way to celebrate Earth Day in to buy goods from local farmer’s markets.

As in the example above, transportation increases air polluting emissions caused by trucking food and goods between states and countries.  We can easily do our part by buying and consuming more local products and services.

We live in the desert.  Literally.  In spite of that, it’s not the only place in the world that can stand to save water.  As we look towards the summer we must ask ourselves, how green does our lawn really need to be?  In nature it’s normal for grasses to go dormant during the summer months and turn a golden color.  In the past few years, drought and overuse has put several countries at risk of running out of drinking water.  This remains a risk in Utah as well.

In the home we can be more waterwise by using low flow faucets, turning the water off as we brush our teeth, and fixing leaky faucets.  A quick search of the house may reveal water (and dollars) that are literally running down the drain.

For me one of the biggest learnings from the pandemic lockdowns is how much unnecessary travel exists.  You could probably argue that’s true of all travel and I’m sure this part of the article is going to piss some people off, but think about it…

In the past few months we’ve cut out almost all corporate travel and meet by WebEx, FaceTime, and Microsoft Teams.  Through this we’ve discovered that while harder to not meet in person, we can still be effective by being more creative.

On the home front, I desperately miss travelling around and towing the trailer.  Being in quarantine has helped me reflect on how our family can travel in a more sustainable way.  Staying in locations longer, storing the camper in “zones” so we aren’t towing as far, switching off with hotels or tenting are some options.  In the past, I’ve been so focused on what I do do that until now haven’t considered what I could do.