Hey Moms,
So one of my favorite days is around the corner: Earth Day. ๐ค As a little girl, I was always attracted to the colors of the earth - ๐ blue and ๐ green. And, current day, I really believe my spirit animal is the blue ๐ whale. ๐ All that to say, I do love Mother Nature and all that she brings to our lives.
With that said - we're in a pickle here, folks. ๐ณ The Earth is really changing due to our treatment/care of it. Here's some basic information for us on climate change:
๐ฅต Global temperature is rising - this can result in many serious alterations to the environment, eventually impacting human health. ๐ We don't want this.
๐The ocean is getting warmer - Rising ocean temperatures are driving unprecedented changes in global marine ecosystems, sea levels, and weather patterns. As heat transforms the ocean, threats to food supplies, economies, and weather multiply, putting human and environmental health at risk. ๐ Oh no.
๐ง The ice sheets are shrinking & glaciers are retreating - Melting glaciers add to rising sea levels, which in turn increases coastal erosion and elevates storm surge as warming air and ocean temperatures create more frequent and intense coastal storms like hurricanes and typhoons. ๐ Oh my.
Yikes. Well, now that we know the deal, are we REALLY ready to activate with advocacy for our planet? Let's cover the history and talk next steps.
The WHAT: Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement that started in 1970. As The History of Earth Day tells us, "In the decades leading up to the first Earth Day, Americans were consuming vast amounts of leaded gas through massive and inefficient automobiles. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of the consequences from either the law or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Until this point, mainstream America remained largely oblivious to environmental concerns and how a polluted environment threatens human health."
The WHO: One billion people across 190 countries activate to advocate for Mother Earth.
The WHY: Earth Day exists as a human movement to advocate for preserving our biggest resource: earth. Originally, it was Senator Gaylord Nelson, a junior senator from Wisconsin, who had long been concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States. He leveraged college student activism - thus the date falls between spring break and final exams - to make this movement national. Check out the original news media coverage on this.
The HOW: We have super busy lives as moms so to think about a carbon footprint, is a lot, I know. A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Our goal is to be carbon footprint neutral, as much as possible. Bluntly put, we have to adjust the lifestyles we were raised with for those that are more carbon footprint conscious.
By modeling eco-friendly lifestyles for our families, our children will be more likely to do the same for the generations to come. So, here are some ways we can get started.
๐ฆ Conserve water - Try shorter and cooler showers. Do not to overwater plants and gardens. And, harvest rainwater from a roof, gutters, and sky with a rain barrel.
๐ Conserve electricity - Turn off lights when not in use and minimize use. Replace old-style incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs. They last longer than their incandescent counterparts and cost a lot less for you to keep the lights on. Also use solar-powered outdoor lights for pathways, sidewalks, or floodlighting.
โป๏ธ Reuse & Recycle - Make it a family habit to recycle, compost and reuse clothing and shoes to minimize environment demands. Think green before you shop. Reuse or repurpose items such as old clothing, cloth grocery bags, and containers to prevent waste. Borrow, rent or share items that are used infrequently, like party decorations, tools or furniture.
๐ Clean up your neighborhood - Make it second nature to clean up trash. Find others and establish an entire movement.
๐ด๐ปโโ๏ธ Walk & bike when possible to reduce car pollution. Choosing a bike over a car just once a day reduces an average citizen's carbon emissions from transport by 67%.
๐งป Switch out kitchen products - By buying sustainable goods and services you can: reduce your carbon emissions, i.e. by using renewable energy or buying energy efficient products to reduce your energy use. save natural resources, i.e. by choosing products and services that use recycled materials or waste as a raw material or resource.
๐จโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ Get kids involved - They are our future. So, let's teach them a deep appreciation for the earth at an early age. They can learn about plants, gardening, participate in clean-ups and more. Go on walks with them and just love on some leaves! Give hugs to the trees. This love will go a long way.
๐ Think about diet - About one-third of the food that we produce every year goes to waste annually! Usually, this happens after we buy the food. How do we avoid waste in our own lives (and save money)? Also, how can we improve our diet so that itโs healthier for ourselves (and the planet)? One way is to care about your โfoodprint,โ which is the result of everything that it takes to get your food from the farm to your plate. Take this fun 3-minute Foodprint Quiz to find out your foodprint.
Well, moms, that's just a starting list. ๐คฏ As usual, we have some work to do.
Funny story, I once looked up how I could have solar powered electricity in my apartment building in NYC. I imagined powering up my cell phone from a solar panel I would leave in the window all day. ๐ I was trying any way to minimize my carbon footprint.
๐ณ What fun ways to do you reduce your carbon footprint in your house? Anyone have solar panels or electric cars? Tell us about it!
Let's Win โค๏ธ๐
Cynthia
Resources:
Comments