Happy Earth Day! Go touch grass! 😜
( I know that is used as an insult these days, I’m reclaiming it, I’m a literal kind of person.)
I keep out of politics, there are many more qualified people than me to speak on them. But I don’t think loving the earth should be divisive. And lately in the US, there’s been a real shift away from the attitudes and policies that kept public lands public, protected them from commercial exploitation, and shielded endangered animals from harm.
And honestly? I think the people driving those decisions need to go touch grass. Sit in the woods for a few hours without your phone and just observe. Watch the squirrels jumping through the treetops. Wonder why they are pulling bark off of a tree. Experience a herd of deer sneak up on you from the backside of a mountain, equally jump-scaring you both. Watch a bird feed its relentlessly demanding babies. Stumble headfirst into a pack of coyotes chasing a rabbit. (This one was actually pretty scary lol) Feel the heat from an active volcano. Get knocked down by a wave to find a turtle swimming a few feet away. Go for a slow walk in the rain.
Because if you can do all of that and still not care about the earth and its future… are you even alive?
I’m always so happy to celebrate Earth Day, but this year, it is tinged with a little sadness. And a little anger at companies who don’t give a damn about the earth saying, “Happy Earth Day” and offering you a discount code to buy more junk that you don’t need. This brings me to…
Three Actually Practical Things You Can Do Today For the Earth
Stop. Supporting. Fast. Fashion.
If I hear another person tell me they got something on Temu, lol. I’m gonna lose it on them. 😂 Temu scored a 0 out of 100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, which is even worse than the 20 out of 100 that SHEIN scored.
This actually matters. (Here’s the nerdy why, as promised.)
According to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, they did not provide information on their supply chain, suppliers, or workers’ empowerment efforts.
Fast fashion uses plastic as the fabric for the majority of their textiles. This is water intensive and dirty to produce. It also leaches microplastics as you wash and wear it- particularly bad for workout clothes. After it is worn once and discarded, or worse, not worn at all, it goes to landfills to pollute our planet. Usually ending up in countries with poor populations. Even donations to charitable places get SO MUCH volume of junk clothes that they ship it away. It is sometimes burned to reduce the mass.
So that is a lot of water dirtied. A lot of fuel wasted. A lot of plastic is produced (Polyester).
The human cost is terrible, too. These low-cost items are often manufactured in dirty, dangerous factories with workers who are paid extremely low wages and some suppliers even have an “extremely high risk” of forced labor.
I know we can’t afford to have every piece custom-made for us from hand-spun yarn of organic alpacas. But we can absolutely buy less and be choosier with the things we do buy.
Combine Trips or Shipping
Do you really need to order something from Amazon everyday with next day shipping? It is such an easy habit to fall into. But *back in my day* 👵we would make a list and buy things when we could combine it into another trip when it wasn’t an urgent purchase.
An easy modern equivalent without sacrificing much in the way of convenience is to just put items into your cart and checkout when you have a need to. This also, btw, can save you a bunch of money on impulse buys, so win-win!
Speaking of reducing trips, not to mention that the price of fuel has absolutely skyrocketed recently due to a war… reduce or combine your trips for errands. Your pocketbook will thank you. (gosh I’m pulling out a lot of old phrases, are y’all still hanging with me? 😂)
We can sometimes forget that petrol is a finite resource and that the drilling, refining, and burning (in your engine) of it all do damage to the earth and atmosphere. Let’s cut back where we can!
Switch Off for Earth Hour
Technically the official World Wildlife Fund Earth Hour was on Saturday, March 28th. But let’s be honest, even if you did it then, that is a super easy one to do often! Particularly now that spring is here. Go outside. Turn the lights off. Save some energy.
That also saves money on your electric bill, so again, win- win.
This is something easy to incorporate into your daily life, too. If you are leaving a room, switch the light off behind you.
Bonus Real Talk
Real talk. We do what we can, and we should not shirk our personal responsibility. AND. Corporate and industrial activity accounts for the vast majority of global emissions. Take the time to look into a company before you vote with your dollars. Live your life and don’t beat yourself up for not doing everything perfectly. Life is messy, just do the best that you can.
Of course beyond your wallet, all of these things and more can get your support by calling your representative and telling them to vote in favor of things that matter to you on all subjects. (And kick them out if they don’t. 🥰)
So HAPPY EARTH DAY! Go touch some grass. 🌍🌎🌏
Here is a hike from a few years ago if you can’t make it outside today!
Living Wildly Well 