Celebrate Earth Day at home – 10 things you can do for our planet from the couch (1/2)

Every year, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd. In over 150 countries, initiatives, aid projects, and activities focused on environmental protection take place on this day. And you can even help from home. I'd like to introduce you to some of these opportunities.

What is Earth Day and why is it celebrated?

The Earth Day originated in America in 1970after a young senator joined forces with some students. Together they organized Demonstrations and protests against the negative effects of 150 years of industrial development and against the destruction of the environment.

In order to facilitate and enable the support of as many students as possible, they chose April 22nd as the date for the protests – because this day lay between the last final exams and the start of spring break.

Very quickly, thousands of universities and associations joined in with protest actions, and In the first year alone, 20 million (!) people took to the American streetsPeople of diverse political persuasions, social classes, and professional groups gathered there.

The actions were not without impact: By the end of 1970, the events of the very first Earth Day had already led to positive developments such as the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, an independent agency of the US government dedicated to environmental protection and human health. Furthermore, the movement paved the way for Adoption of important environmental protection laws such as the “Clean Water Act” or the renewal of the “Clean Air Act” (legal regulations for keeping surface water and air clean).

In the decades that followed, Earth Day became increasingly popular and global. Soon, various projects and campaigns emerged around the world to support the campaign.

Photo by v2osk on Unsplash

Today, Earth Day feels more urgent than ever before. A solution-oriented approach to the climate crisis requires active action and raising public awareness of the problem.

Young people in particular should creative environmental projects and educated about environmental issues. In addition to these practical measures, it is also important that more people think about the consequences of their consumption behavior and more responsible as well as more sustainable act.

In this sense:

Now let's look at what you can actively do to celebrate Earth Day from home.

(You can of course also use all the suggestions listed below on any other day of the year take the opportunity to give something back to our home planet or to adopt a more sustainable life 😋).

10 ways you can contribute to Earth Day from home

The options I'm listing here are aimed at anyone who wants to make a difference and take the next step toward sustainability. Whether you're new to the topic or have been involved for a long time, – there is always something to do! 😎

I would be thrilled if this post inspires you to try one or more of my suggestions. Please let me know in the comments which of these suggestions you'd like to implement. If you have any other ideas for Earth Day-related activities, please feel free to share them! After all, we all benefit from them. 🤗

The impulses for action at a glance:

Inform and educate
Eat more plant-based foods
Water && save energy
Donate
Watch documentaries

(Recommendations number 6-10 can be found in the second part of this article.)

1. Inform and educate

Let's start with an option that initially sounds quite trivial: constantly informing yourself and continuing your education. What this can mean in specific cases varies greatly. After all, topics like climate protection, the environment, and sustainability can't be tackled in an afternoon. From everyday tips and scientific findings to fake news and myths – there's a lot to learn. Therefore, it's important to continue your education regularly.

In recent years, more and more research and publications have been conducted on environmental issues, and scientific findings can, of course, sometimes turn out to be wrong. Staying on top of all this can be exhausting at times. Nevertheless, I believe it's important to stay informed and simply be open to learning. It's important to me not to force myself too much, but to approach the subject matter that interests me with a childlike curiosity.

What's a topic you've always wanted to know more about? I hereby officially encourage you to use your trusted search engine to find it right away. 😋

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

2. Eat (more) plant-based foods

It's no secret that a plant-based diet is one of the simplest and most effective ways to do good for the planet. In this article you will learn more about the background.

It also helps to eat vegetables more often (which your body will thank you for, by the way), or to skip meat more often or replace it with a plant-based alternative. Here, too, the key is to educate yourself. And, of course, to try it out. Openness to plant-based diets is therefore essential. 😌

If you need inspiration, feel free to look at our blog Social media such as Pinterest and YouTube offer a lot of ideas and simple recipes.

After years of eating meat-free, I can at least tell you this: I'm doing well! A plant-based diet is incredibly diverse (even if you don't think so at first)! And the best part: I'm enjoying nutrition and food more than ever before!

What "eco-friendly" recipe could you make for Earth Day? What dish could you make that would not only bring joy to yourself and your loved ones, but also to the environment?

3. Save water and energy

Let’s start with energy: Around 40% of global CO2 emissions are generated through the generation of electricityFossil fuels are particularly responsible for this. Therefore, it's worth switching energy providers and purchasing green electricity.

This is often easier than initially thought! Comparison portals offer a good way to find an electricity provider that offers reasonable prices and also supplies electricity primarily or even exclusively from renewable sources. Utopia recommends, for example, Bürgerwerke, EWS Schönau or Fair Trade Power.

Switching providers is now completely possible online or by phone. So, there's nothing you can't do from the comfort of your couch! ;)

Household water consumption, on the other hand, often occurs away from the couch. When cooking and showering, for example, there are a lot of small changes you can make to use less water. This not only saves valuable resources but also money. You can find tips for saving water here.

4. Donations

If you have the means, donating is a wonderful way to give something back to the planet. Often, we feel like we can't do much as individuals or don't have the upper hand. Aid organizations, on the other hand, have a plan and the necessary contacts. With your money, you can help them put their plans into action.

There is a whole range of incredibly great initiatives to protect our planet. This can be addressed on a variety of levels and in a variety of ways. Websites like effective-spenden.org help you find a project where your money will actually reach its goal. This way, you know it's well invested and, at the same time, find a project you truly believe in.

Take Earth Day as an opportunity to set aside a monthly budget (no matter how small!) to support an initiative that's close to your heart. One-time donations are also possible. – here too, however small it may be, you can make a difference!

5. Watch documentaries

This point ties in with the first, but goes a step further. (Good) documentaries are ideal for imparting knowledge. They manage to convey information while simultaneously entertaining the audience. Furthermore, film is arguably the best medium for evoking emotions and inducing plot changes.

Earth Day would be the perfect occasion for a documentary film night, wouldn't it? And even if movie nights aren't possible as usual right now, they're still possible virtually! Netflix and Amazon Prime now offer so-called "Watch Parties," where you can watch a film together online. And both streaming services have a ton of nature and environmental documentaries on their schedules.

Documentaries are also a great way to educate people about a topic who have little knowledge about it or who shy away from moral discussions. People are often more open to "entertainment media"—after all, they're less offensive and fun, since they also aim to entertain.

Here are a few suggestions for environmental documentaries that you can watch with your family, friends, or other loved ones:

Cowspiracy
Sustainable
Thrown away
Minimalism
A Plastic Ocean
Seaspiracy
Tomorrow

If you now say: “I already know all of them!”, then I have another tip for you: On filmsforearth.org you will find a whole series of other (also lesser-known) documentaries on the subject of the environment and the earth.

So, those were the first 5 tips for sustainable actions on Earth Day. Here you will find the second part of the series with 5 more possibilities. With our Blog newsletter You won't miss a new post (no unnecessary spam, I promise! 😆). Until then, take care!