In celebration of Earth Day here are a few Earth Day facts that you might not know:
*Earth Day was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin who wanted to respond to an oil spill off Santa Barbara, California. President Bill Clinton awarded Sen. Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 for his role as Earth Day founder. Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, making 2014’s observance the 44th anniversary of Earth Day.
*While Earth Day originated in the United States it went global in 1990 and now over 180 countries participate worldwide. The United Nations renamed Earth Day to International Mother Earth Day in 2009…the new name hasn’t gained much traction in the US.
*NASA is participating in Earth Day this year with the agency’s #GlobalSelfie event, asking people to take a photo of themselves outside and post it to social media using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie. NASA will use the images to create a mosaic image of Earth — a new “Blue Marble” built bit by bit with your photos. Get more info on how to participate here.
How can you make a difference? Here are a few action items:
1. Ditch the plastic water bottles and invest in aluminum bottles/containers.
2. Install smart power strips.
3. Raise/lower the air-conditioning/heater thermostat setting by a couple degrees. See more here.
4. Put one or two liter water bottles (sealed lids) in the flush tanks of toilets to save water. Click here for more information.
5. Install water aerators on taps to save water. Read more here.
6. Consider packing a zero waste lunch. Utilize reusable takeout containers instead of plastic zip lock bags, metal utensils instead of plastic utensils and a cloth napkin in place of a paper one. Click here for more information.
7. If you have to replace an appliance consider purchasing an Energy Star appliance to reduce your consumption of energy.
Checkout this link for additional ways you can act in an environmentally friendly manner: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/.
Our planet is at a turning point. The massive global migration from countryside to cities as a global middle class emerges will demand huge investments in energy, water, materials, waste, food distribution, and transportation. If the right investments are made now, this unique opportunity will be the catalyst for dramatic changes in the environment and the fight against carbon emissions and climate change.
Thank you for your help and efforts in protecting and preserving the planet for our future generations.
The Kaiserman Company