How to Earth Day 2023

This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement, commemorated annually as Earth Day. Since 1970, billions of individuals from more than 190 countries worldwide have come together every April 22nd to take action toward a greener, more equitable future for our planet. As the countdown to Earth Day 2023 continues, it is important to remember regardless of where you are or what you do, you have the power to yield real change and be a champion for Earth. To protect our planet, we must invest in it.

Rallying behind this year’s theme, Invest in Our Planet, which highlights the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy to solving the climate crisis, here are 7 ways you can actively participate in Earth Day 2023:

Plant trees or a pollinator garden.

Trees are one of the most powerful tools to combat the climate crisis. Attend a local tree planting event or donate to campaigns, like EARTHDAY.ORG’s The Canopy Project, to help reforestation efforts across the world.

Pollination is essential for all terrestrial life on Earth. Plant a pollinator garden using species native to your area to support local populations of butterflies, bees, and other organisms critical to sustained biodiversity in your ecosystem.

Reduce your plastic consumption.

Plastic pollution is one of the most important environmental problems we face today. We all contribute to this problem and must work to reduce, and ultimately end, plastic pollution. Make a plan this Earth Day to reduce your plastic consumption using EARTHDAY.ORG’s plastic calculator.

Participate in advocacy.

Educate yourself about the science behind climate change and show responsibility in addressing it by taking climate action to the next level. Send a letter to your local elected officials, speak up at your next town hall meeting, or use EARTHDAY.ORG’s Vote Earth hub to learn about your voting rights, register to vote, and get reminders for important voting deadlines.

Make sustainable fashion choices.

Fast fashion has completely revolutionized the apparel industry, but not for the better. Learn about the detrimental impacts of fast fashion, the importance of sustainable fashion, and commit to responsible consumption.

Plan your own event.

It’s easy to start your own Earth Day event! Whether it be a community cleanup, march, teach-in, or rally, EARTHDAY.ORG has step-by-step instructions on how to organize your Earth Day activity in their Earth Day 2023 Action Toolkit. Be sure to register any and all events you plan on the official Earth Day Map.

Donate.

By donating to a campaign supporting the environmental movement, like EARTHDAY.ORG’s The Canopy Project, you are not only making a difference, you’re empowering change and mobilizing individuals to take part in building a better world for generations to come.

Activate on social media.

Creating content for the world to see is critical in communicating the importance of climate action. Whether you create posters and banners, or plan/attend a march, rally, clean up, or any other popular Earth Day event, be sure to post what you’re doing to tag #EarthDay and/or #InvestInOurPlanet to spread awareness around the environmental movement and possibly be featured on EARTHDAY.ORG’s social channels.

For more information on how to do Earth Day, be sure to check out the Earth Day 2023 Toolkit and checking out EARTHDAY.ORG’s website: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023/.

Source: earthday.org

5 Facts About Earth Day

1. Earth Day was started by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 to promote environmental policies on a national scale.

2. Following the first Earth Day, Congress authorized the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

3. Earth Day also led to the passage of the Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.

4. In 1990, Earth Day went global and mobilized 141 countries to participate in protecting the environment. 

5. The date April 22nd was chosen for Earth Day to maximize the number of university (and K-12) students that could participate in celebrating the holiday.