In 1969, Senator Gaylord Nelson along with a group of passionate environmentalists began what would be known as Earth Day. While they may not have realized it at the time, the significance of their work would become a movement for people around the world. As a reflection on this day, many people question how they too can support calls for a clean Earth and continue the preservation of humanity for future generations who will inherit the planet. The challenges that face our society brought on by climate change, pollution, deforestation, and over-farming give us a unique opportunity to jump in the fight to take care of Earth. No matter if you’re an army of one or a leader of a large force, this article aims to challenge you to take action to help preserve Earth through reduction, reuse or repurpose activities. Here are 5 ways you can participate in Earth Day at home or at work.
Plant A Tree
Planting trees is an activity that can be done by one or by the whole office. The process is fairly simple and the impacts are even greater. By now, we all know the importance of trees and how they purify the air for our Earth, but with 15 billion trees lost each year, planting a single tree helps deter those losses. Best of all, we get some new shade from the heat and curb appeal as trees bring value to a property.
Cut Your Electricity Usage
Electricity consumption and waste can all be drastically cut simply by turning off unnecessary lights and appliances in our homes and businesses. Some ways to curb usage would be to adopt a smart home system or light censors for the office so that lights are turned off automatically when not in use. Easy steps like this can not only drop your electric bill, but can reduce the demand on our electric grid and the need for fossil fuels.
Protect Your Water
Earth’s water supply is in jeopardy. Seasonal drought, over-farming, pollution, and plastic are just some of the threats facing our drinking supply. Instead of buying bottled water, opt-in for the water cooler at work with your reusable cup. Employers can contribute to this activity by instituting a recycling program in the office for employees to dispose of their recyclable materials. Taking measures like this helps reduce the amount of trash that ends up in our streams, rivers, and oceans.
Volunteer Your Time
Taking action is what Earth Day is all about, and giving your time is possibly the best gift you can give to the planet. Earth Day must remind us that we need to offer solutions to continuously protect and respect our environment. This means you could volunteer for a community clean-up, start a group of other like-minded individuals who regularly volunteer for community clean ups, or it could even mean you organize your office staff to go out and clean up a park as a team-building exercise. The possibilities of how your time can impact the Earth are endless, but not taking action means we will never tackle the problems facing the planet.
Spread The Word
Most of us, if not all of us, have some sort of social media and smartphone. The ability for us to help Earth also begins with educating those around us through our channels of communication. By posting, reposting, liking and commenting on Earth Day related articles, videos, and photos, you can help others understand the importance of getting involved in the process. Take it up a notch by creating a Facebook group dedicated to Earth or create personalized Earth Day content for your followers and friends to understand the importance of the day. Your efforts will not go unnoticed and may even inspire others to join the movement to protect Earth.
As we mark the 52nd Earth Day, know that there is still much to do in supporting our planet and that every little bit counts. There is truly power in numbers and by multiplying our efforts to keep our Earth clean, we can have long-lasting positive impacts that will benefit future Earthlings. The only thing you need to do is to take the first step. Learn more about Bridgelink Engineering’s efforts to preserve Earth here.
For Media Inquiries Contact
David Kash Vasquez
dvasquez@bridgelinkengineering.com
