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Earth Day is April 22nd
There are a lot of different things that we can do as individuals to help protect the planet and preserve local ecosystems. As a nature-inspired artist, I think it’s incredibly important to make sure we’re taking care of the environment and working to reduce our overall carbon footprint.
Earth Day exists, in part, because we’ve known for a long time that we need to do more to protect the planet, but it’s been difficult to inspire the dedication and determination it takes to actually do the job.
Fortunately, making small changes in your everyday life can make a big difference, and is a great way to make a difference this upcoming Earth Day.
As part of my commitment to Earth Day, I’m also offering a one-day deal on April 22nd, 2023 for some of my jewelry that is most closely connected to the environment, in the hope that my jewelry can be a good daily reminder of the natural world.
Keep an eye on the Earth Song Jewelry home page to learn more in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, here are some effective things you can do to help reduce your carbon footprint and make a difference in the fight against climate change.
What You Can Do To Make A Difference In The Climate
There are hundreds if not thousands of small changes you can make that can help make a difference in climate change or support the health and diversity of your local ecosystems.
That said, here are a few of the better ways you can make a difference at home. Even if you only choose one of these options, you’ll help lower your carbon footprint and support the environment.
Support Local Pollinators
One of the best ways to prop up local ecosystems and support better biodiversity on the planet as a whole is to help support local pollinators that help keep the local plants and animals healthy.
That means more than just honeybees! Did you know that the honeybees most of us think of as pollinators are European bees? There are plenty of native species to North America and pretty much every other continent, and they need our support too.
Planting local flower species, avoiding raking leaves until after it stops freezing overnight in the spring, and building a small bee hotel on your property can all help support bee populations and pollinators of all stripes.
Even if you can’t make big changes, leaving leaf litter on the ground and letting the first Spring flowers thrive on their own can go a long way.
Use Reusable Containers Instead Of Disposable Options
One of the biggest drivers of waste and pollution in our day-to-day lives is the use of disposable plastic containers for food and beverages.
Switching to reusable plastic at a minimum, and ideally, highly recyclable materials like glass and aluminum can go a long way.
If you’re really committed to getting rid of disposable plastics you can also switch to waxed fabric wraps for foods like sandwiches, and mesh fabric bags for whole produce.
Shop Sustainable Businesses
One big way you can make your voice heard this Earth Day, and every day, is to shop from sustainable eco-conscious retailers like Earth Song Jewelry.
The more businesses you choose specifically because of their eco-friendly initiatives, messaging, and efforts, the more you signal to other businesses and retailers that they need to step up their eco-friendly efforts.
Moving your spending toward those eco-friendly retailers is also a good way to make sure your dollars go toward supporting the initiatives and conservation efforts you care about.
If you’d like to support your friendly, small-business, jewelry artisan this Earth Day, you’re in luck. I’m planning a big Earth Day flash sale, so keep an eye out for more details and an announcement in April.
Or come back here on Earth Day, April 22nd, to see the deals for yourself.
Spend Some Time Cleaning Local Parks And Roads
Even if you can’t do much to reduce your carbon footprint at home, you can still support the local environment by cleaning up the areas around your home.
Spending an afternoon picking up trash, especially plastics, and cardboard, can protect the health of local plants and animals.
If you want to take it a step further, contact local officials to talk about installing animal-proof trash disposal sites to reduce the amount of plastic, cardboard, and other human waste products animals eat because they don’t know better.
Write Or Call Your Congress People, Governor, And Local Officials
Want to help make a substantial difference this Earth Day and every Earth Day? One of the best things you can do only takes about 20 minutes of effort and can be done from the comfort of your own home.
Calling your congressional representatives in State and National offices, your Governor, and other officials to tell them how important protecting the environment is to you can make a difference. It does take a lot of people making their voices heard to make a change, but if you and even one friend call, that might change your local politicians’ priorities a little.
Better yet, if you can go to local town halls and meetings to make your voices heard, that’s a great way to raise public awareness and make a big difference in your area.
Plant A Food-Garden At Home Or In A Local Community Garden
Planting any local plants, including flowers and trees, can go a long way to helping your local ecosystem. But you can make an even bigger difference by planting fruits and vegetables for your family and friends, a local food bank, or just to enjoy yourself.
Any amount of food you grow yourself can make a huge difference in your carbon footprint. Even small container gardens for herbs and beginner-friendly vegetables like tomatoes can help.
There are a couple of reasons that having a food garden makes such a big difference. The first is that the plants themselves increase local biodiversity and will help support local populations of insects, birds, and small animals even if you protect the plants and your harvest.
The next is that every bite of food that comes from your garden or a community garden is food that didn’t have to be shipped long distances to get to your local grocery store.
And lastly, having your own garden can help support other activities that help the environment, like composting.
If you can’t start a garden or container garden, a good alternative is to go to a local farmer’s market. That way you’re supporting local growers, reducing the amount of travel it takes for fruits and vegetables to get to your plate, and contributing to more sustainable food practices.
Bonus: Consider Giving To A Local Environmental Charity
Even if you’re committed to going green and supporting the local environment this Earth Day, you’re still just one person. Giving to a local environmental charity, even if you can only give a few dollars, helps fund the larger initiatives and work of fighting climate change.
Charities aren’t perfect, and we still need legislative changes to really make a difference, from corporate regulations to a stronger EPA. But in the meantime, while we fight for those things, environmental charities are doing the on-the-ground work of trying to make a difference here and now.
Earth Day Is One Day A Year, Our Environment Is Forever
Earth Day is just one day. But Earth, Nature, and the environment are here every day. They need our actions and commitment, every day.
I do what I can here with Earth Song Jewelry to protect the environment and thank our planet for all the bounties it gives us every single day. But I’m still just one person, and this is an issue we all need to work together to solve.
I’m holding a big Earth Day sale this year to try and raise awareness not only of Earth Day, but also of the need to support businesses that are already working on eco-conservation and making their businesses as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible.
Visit Earth Song Jewelry this Earth Day to see the deals for yourself, and consider purchasing some of my handmade jewelry as a reminder of the earth, the environment, and how important it is to work toward eco-conservation every day.
Earth Day is just one day, but it could be the day you make a change that helps change our world.
