Authored by:
Allen Pyle
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is in 2020. Founded in 1970, Earth Day occurs each year on April 22nd. The initial Earth Day was a key milestone in recognizing the importance of environmental protection. Key environmental laws were passed that year, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created.
Climate action is the theme for Earth Day 2020.
We at Earth Science would like to wish you a Happy Earth Day, with many more to come!
Here are some actions individuals can take the work toward reducing pollution and improving the environment.
Minimize pesticide use in your yard and garden and plant flowers, including native species, that bloom throughout the year. This provides safe habitat and food sources for pollinating insects.
A food’s total carbon footprint, or “foodprint” includes greenhouse gases produced when it is produced, including harvesting, processing, transporting, and disposing of wastes. Eating food produced locally is an excellent step for greatly reducing the effects from long-distance transportation. Garden produce and purchases from local farmers’ markets greatly to reduce the impact of food transportation. Eating what is in season locally is also helpful on this front.
Food waste is responsible for a very large amount of greenhouse gas emissions. A great way to reduce food waste is composting food scraps. There are a range of composting options you can try, ranging from traditional bin composting, to sheet composting, to vermicomposting (using worms to make compost).
Walking, biking, and taking public transportation all produce much lower carbon emissions than car or airplane travel. Consider making use of some of these alternatives to reduce environmental impact while saving money and getting exercise.
Happy Earth Day!
