April 22, 2022 is more than just WooBamboo’s ninth birthday. It’s also Earth Day, which is a national holiday designed to promote environmental awareness and help individuals reflect on their impact on the planet. If you’re looking for an awesome way to celebrate, we’ve got you covered! Check out the five fun and interesting Earth Day celebration ideas below.
#1 – Make it a “No-Drive Day”
In the United States (and many other countries around the globe), vehicles are a leading cause of significant air pollution. Nevertheless, we tend to spend a lot of time driving. In fact, a survey from the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the average American driver spends more than 17,600 minutes behind the wheel each year. For clarification, that’s just over 293 hours, or roughly 12 whole days. Then, when you consider that more than 86% of American households have at least one car and 28% have more than one, it’s easy to see why automobile pollution is such a problem. This Earth Day, try walking or biking, and if you must commute, find a carpool or use public transportation, instead.
#2 – Calculate Your Family’s Carbon Footprint
If you’re finding it difficult to understand your family’s impact on the environment, try calculating your family’s carbon footprint this Earth Day. Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere as a result of your daily living, and the calculator makes it easy to determine your impact by answering a few simple questions. You can take it a step further and calculate your plastic footprint (the amount of plastic waste your family contributes to the environment), as well. When you have your results, look into ways to reduce your footprints – such as taking the subway to work and switching your plastic toothbrush for a quality bamboo one, instead.
#3 – Get Crafty!
Celebrating Earth Day involves focusing on Mother Nature and ways you can work to improve your environment. If you want to get your kids involved, there’s nothing quite like crafting projects to capture and keep their attention. Crafting is also a fantastic way to help teach your kids about the “reuse” part of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, and in some cases – such as building a compost bin – it’s a great opportunity for teaching fun science. Plus, a compost bin isn’t a compost bin without worms, and kids love worms!
#4 – Research (& Buy) Carbon Offsets
In its simplest form, a carbon offset is a form of trade. When you purchase a carbon offset from a company – and it’s usually your electric company – the money from your purchase is used to fund projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, if you want to help the environment but you are not in a place to make impossible changes or reductions on your own, buying carbon offsets can help you “offset” your carbon emissions by aiding in carbon reduction efforts across the country and the globe. This Earth Day, find out whether the companies servicing you offer carbon offsets, then discuss the benefits of purchasing them.
#5 – Spend Some Time Volunteering
Switching your old plastic toothbrush for a bamboo alternative and replacing your incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs is wonderful, but if you really want to make a big difference this year, consider volunteering your most valuable resource of all: your time. Chances are good that there are multiple organizations in your local area that are focused on keeping the local environment clean and pollution-free. Search the web for options, and if your town doesn’t offer any volunteering opportunities, create your own! Go for a walk around your neighborhood, pick up any litter you find, and recycle what you can.
There are many ways that you can improve your environmental awareness this Earth Day, ranging from leaving your car at home to volunteering in a local cleanup committee. Regardless of how you celebrate, the end goal is always the same. We celebrate Earth Day to leave our children, their children, and their children’s children a cleaner, safer planet.
