Today, 22nd April, is Earth Day. This is a day to focus on what we can do to help the environment and protect our planet.
The first Earth Day was in 1970 – fifty years ago! It was set up by an American politician called Senator Gaylord Nelson because he thought it was important for children to be taught about the environment in schools. On this day (in “normal life” when schools are open and we don’t have to observe social distancing…) many schools get involved in local clean-ups in their streets, parks and along their rivers and coasts.
Here are some things you could do to celebrate Earth Day:
1 Walk or cycle to get your daily exercise.
3 Turn off lights when you leave the room.
4 Turn off electrical appliances such as the TV, kettle and computer at the wall when you are not using them.
5 Try not to use a computer or the TV at all for just one day! (Difficult at the moment, perhaps, but what else could you find to do – it’s only one day…)
6 Take time to look at the trees, plants, birds and insects – you could do this from your window or doorstep. Make notes or drawings of what you see.
7 Ask your parents if you can swap from chemical cleaning products to more environmentally friendly options. Did you know that you can do a lot of cleaning using natural things such as vinegar water and lemon juice?
8 Remember to take a cloth bag or a ‘bag for life’ when you go shopping to avoid using a plastic bag.
9 Did you know that meat production uses much more energy than plants? Try eating vegetarian food for one day. There are lots of delicious recipes to try – some are on this blog!
10 Take a refillable drink bottle out with you instead of buying water or juice in plastic bottles.
Anna Wilson 