Living Green
Five Ways to Celebrate Earth Day 2010
By Christine Powell Smith
The official day for Earth Day is April 22nd and it is celebrated worldwide. Most celebrations will be the weekend before to allow more people to participate.
What is Earth Day? Earth Day aims to inspire awareness of, and appreciation for, earth’s environment. It is currently observed in more than 140 countries around the world. Here are five ways that you and your family can participate and enjoy Earth Day!
1) Make a reusable shopping bag
Stop using plastic. Do you know that about 100 billion plastic bags are used each year in the U.S. alone? Add to that… the huge economies and populations of India, China, Europe, and other parts of the world, and the number of bags used worldwide is quite staggering. The problem is further exacerbated when developed countries ship off their plastic waste to developing countries like India. You can purchase reusable shopping bags almost anywhere, but why not try to make your own? For ideas click here.
2) Have a scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are fun, and they are also great ice breakers. I remember one time I went to a business function and I didn’t know anyone there. There was a scavenger hunt planned where you got paired-up in groups. We got to know each other quickly and had a phenomenal time. Here’s an idea… invite some friends and/or family over, pair them up with people they don’t know, and give them the list of items that they have to find. Don’t sweat being a host… have everyone bring a dish (of course in a reusable container). A gathering and celebration of Earth Day all in one!
3) Plant a tree
Easy, simple, and you can do this in your own backyard or around your community. If you don’t have much of a green thumb, visit Your Tree and they can do it for you.
4) Recycle toys and games
By giving their old toys and games to younger children who could make use of them, older children learn two lessons: one is the joy of giving, and the second is the sensibility of reusing and recycling instead of throwing things away. Hey, this isn’t just reserved for the kids… you too can do this with your clothes, books and more.
5) Get involved in your community
Check your local newspaper or Television station to see if your school, your street, your local neighborhood is having an environmental fair… and don’t simply attend – get involved! Things to have at the fair include demonstrations of environmentally-friendly products, children’s artwork, healthy/locally grown foods to eat, animal care demonstrations (including wildlife rescue), games for the children made of recycled products, musicians and actors performing environmental music and skits, stalls which are recycling unwanted treasures and books, local environmental organizations presenting their issues and wares. Money raised can go towards a local environmental restoration project or to an environmental group agreed upon by all the participants running the fair.
Christine Smith is a Principal, as well as the Director of Marketing for Fine Lions, Inc. Fine Lions specializes in a proprietary Eco-friendly wood graining process that is applied to non wood products to give them the appearance of natural wood. This earth conscious application may be done on exterior and interior doors, garage doors, kitchen and bath cabinets, as well as other surfaces. To learn more, visit http://www.finelions.com.