Earth Day was born out of the Environmental movement that began in the 1970’s; and the celebration is now in it’s the 46th year and is growing with each passing celebration.
The movement began as a reaction to a huge oil spill in Santa Barbara which shook the world. Before this movement, thinking about the consequences that our actions might have on the environment was not commonplace. As we continued to guzzle fuel and consume at our own conveniences, this has unfortunately, over time resulted in serious consequences.
Scientists around the world have been carrying out research to get to grips with the weight of the issue and the problems we face; their research has provided devastating outcomes, proving the huge impact long term actions have led to.
Our mass consumption and need for materials has depleted forests and land; due to tree felling and commercial/ residential building, resulting in the displacement, extinction and endangering of thousands of species of animals around the world. Our unabated use of fossil fuels has also created a ‘greenhouse effect’, brought about by the build-up of gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) at an unmanageable rate, subsequently leading to Global Warming and the accelerated rise in sea levels.
Although this information arose years ago, our reactions have been slow; it has only been in recent years that we have seen change in our thoughts towards the environmental issues. Last year the Paris Climate Summit marked a step towards change for many, but is it really enough…? In order to make change happen nationally and worldwide, we must tackle these issues on a personal, community based and local level.
Today, many around the world are getting stuck in to do their bit to help their environments and raise awareness. You can find out where this is happening closest to you, and get involved by clicking here.
If you’re in Leicester, you can do your bit by joining Leicester’s annual earth day clean-up, on April 24th from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. where they will be meeting at the Town common to get stuck in! http://keepmassbeautiful.org/event/leicester-annual-earth-day-clean/
We’ve compiled a list of 10 top tips for you to do to keep your carbon footprint at an all time low and become part of the growing movement!
- Leave lights off
- Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
- Donate to charity
- Shop Fairtrade, local, seasonal, organic and unpackaged
- Go meat free
- Re use your shopping bags
- Donate to charity
- Walk/ bike to work
- Make sure your coffee is Fairtrade or part of the rainforest alliance and use a reusable cup
- Keep electricals off and unplugged, but if you must stay online, go paperless
SustainableDMU 