Home >> Tips From The Backyard >> Join the Movement With These 5 Earth Day Activities

How Environmental Concerns Founded Earth Day

During the late 1960s, mainstream America was participating in anti-war marches, singing along to the Beatles, and watching as the first man walked on the moon. People cruised around in their muscle cars without any concern for the negative environmental impact these had. This generation was not troubled with environmental issues until 1969, when the largest oil spill in history occurred in Santa Barbara, CA.

Gaylord Nelson, a former US Senator in Wisconsin, founded Earth Day after witnessing the severe damage caused by the oil spill—upsetting marine mammals, fish, and birds to damaging beaches, coastlines, and islands throughout southern California.

Using the momentum from the anti-war demonstrations, Nelson organized the movement to force air and water-pollution topics onto the national agenda. As a result, the National Teach-In On the Environment was formed to help educate and assemble people across America to demand that Congress address environmental concerns.

In the spring of 1970, over 20 million Americans celebrated their love of the Earth by holding rallies in public parks, streets, and auditoriums nationwide. People from all walks of life organized protests against environmental degradation: oil spills, pollution from power plants, and toxic waste from factories. Pollution was damaging the environment, causing wildlife to go extinct, and depleting forests. The first Earth Day successfully united people to fight for one cause—our planet.

By the end of 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency was established, consolidating many environmental responsibilities under one agency.

Today, Earth Day is celebrated by more than 1 billion people across 193 countries. It is a day to not only increase awareness of what we all can do to protect our plants, animals, and environment but also to take action.

5 Steps to Make a Difference on Earth Day

This year, join in the movement to make a difference for our planet with these simple Earth Day activities.

1. Get to Know Your Recyclables
   • Recycling saves energy and reduces greenhouse emissions, but it’s important to understand what can and cannot be recycled. For example, even though many small plastic caps are recyclable, they can only be recycled if they are secured to the bottle; otherwise, these caps need to go in the trash. Use this Recyclopedia to look up whether items should be recycled or disposed of in the trash.  
2. Keep the Keys on the Counter
   • Instead of driving, use alternative methods of transportation such as walking, biking, or public transportation. These are a few good ways we can lower car emissions.
3. Fix the Leak
   • Maybe it’s the kitchen faucet that drips or the shower handle that leaks. Taking steps to reduce the amount of water we use
     saves energy required to gather, clean, and deliver water.
4. Start Composting
   • Reduce the amount of organic waste that goes into your landfill. Start backyard composting—in a GEOBIN Composter. Deposit your household kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and yard waste in the composter.
5. Enjoy Nature Around You
   • Whether it is going on a hike or visiting your local park, take some time to look at the world around you, reminding yourself why it is worth saving.

Earth Day may only last 24 hours, but if we take the time to change just one of our daily habits, imagine the positive long-lasting impact this could have on the world around us.