What Are You Doing For Earth Day?

Happy Earth Day everyone (April 22)! I’ve included a few ideas for actions you can take on Earth Day to celebrate the day, while also helping the Earth.

I’m emphasizing political action this year because our new administration apparently believes you need to cause environmental degradation to finance the rich. This moment demands your voice, your action. I have included some ideas for how you can get involved.

Ways to Honor Earth Day

1. Marches make a difference. Get political and attend a march or two. Join the March for Science on Earth Day in D.C., and other cities. Everyone is welcome. Find a local satellite march here. We need independent science that works for the people and is respected by our government. 350.org is also planning a climate change march on April 29 in D.C. Check out their website for more info. You can find locations for sister marches here. 
2. Contact the EPA urging them to ban the chemical chlorpyrifos. Despite the EPA’s scientists recommendation to ban chlorpyrifos, Scott Pruitt recently refused to ban it. Chlorpyrifos (made by Dow) causes brain problems in children. It is also toxic to bees. Banned from the domestic market in 2001, chlorpyrifos is still used widely in agriculture.
3. Take a moment to contact your local representative about any or all of “Earth Day issues”. Communicate how much you value a healthy environment. Politicians take letters and communications from their constituents seriously.
4. Divest your money from banks and investments that have ties to the fossil fuel industry and companies that make the bee-killing chemicals, such as Dow, Bayer, and Monsanto.
5. Go for a hike.
6. Commit to no chemicals of any kind in your yard and gardens. Go organic.
7. Give time and/or money to your favorite green organization.
8. Plan a pollinator garden.
9. Plant a pollinator garden.
10. Plant a tree. Even better if it is a bee tree. See my post Want to Feed the Bees? Plant a Bee Tree.

I will be attending the March for Science on Earth Day, with hopefully some gardening fit in as well. Share your Earth Day plans in the comments section below. What is meaningful to you? We would love to hear about them!