Earth Month 2022 | How will you take action?
8 Minute Read
Post Sponsored by EarthHero
Itâs officially Earth Month 2022!
And itâs the time of year when everyone gets the reminder that âHey, I need to do something good for the planet. But the question is: what should I do?â
I love Earth Month because it reminds everyone to think about what I literally spend all day ruminating over. Itâs also super inspiring to see so much motivation during the month of April. But in a way, I guess itâs also bittersweet because I wish the direness of the situation was top of mind for everyone all the time.
But Iâm not here to bring you down about the climate crisis. Iâm here to get you inspired so that you take action. And to, hopefully, empower you to take your climate activism far beyond the month of April.
FUN FACT
Did you know that the first Earth Day happened over 50 years ago? Yup! Earth Day 1970 was the inaugural celebration. The objective? âTo get a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargyâŠand, finally, force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda.â Looks like weâre still working on it, but hey, at least weâve made some progress!
History.com
Now before we get started with our earth month challenge, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Whatâs your intention for Earth Month?
- What would be really cool to get done by the end of this month?
- What sort of impact would you like to have by the end of this month?
Set a goal for yourself and make it tangible. Throwing around loose ideas isnât gonna cut it. And itâs not gonna lead to any real impact, which is the whole point. Am I right?
So whatâs your goal? Could it be getting involved with a local climate action group? Or finally switching your bank to one that doesnât support the fossil fuel industry? Or perhaps, itâs something smaller, like finally committing to becoming a master composter! Whether youâre just starting your sustainability journey, we need lots of action in lots of big and small ways.
Here are some ideas to get you motivated and moving for Earth month 2020
1. Educate yo-self!
The climate crisis, the insane amount of consumerism that happens every day, and the overwhelming amount of plastic pollution you see on a regular basis can beâŠoverwhelming. To say the least! And thereâs a lot of noise and mixed messaging out there (like fossil fuel companies funding huge PR campaigns to assuage their image as the good guys đ€Šđ»ââïž ).
With all of that circling around in your brain, it can be hard to know where you can have the most impact. Thatâs why educating yourself on the big-ticket items is very important. That might be as simple as taking an online course to better understand the problems or even signing up for a local climate action seminar where you can find out which issues are most important to your community.
There are lots of options, but making sure the information youâre getting is backed by data is key. Perhaps, an easy first step is to start building your climate library! The Story of Stuff is a good eye-opener!
2. Align your money with your values
What does this really look like?
People throw around the phrase âshop your valuesâ all the time, and weâll get to that later on, but what does it really mean to align your finances with your values?
Do you know that when you have money in a bank account, itâs not just sitting there, idly waiting? The bank actually invests that money in projects and companies that you may or may not want anything to do withâŠlike fossil fuel companies. In fact, as of 2021, JP Morgan Chase was the worldâs larger banker of fossil fuels (Rainforest Action Network).
So the question is: are you ok with leaving your money in the hands of banks that might be using it to directly fund companies that have actively contributed to the climate crisis?
Now changing banks is not as simple as flicking a switch, but itâs really not that tricky either. There are banks like Bank of the West that have all the conveniences of the big banks, but with one big difference: they donât support companies that are actively contributing to the climate crisis. In fact, they even have policies that prohibit them from financing things like âoil and gas projects in the Arctic region.â For a bank to take that stance, itâs no small feat.
3. Support Non-Profits that are Fighting Against Climate Change
So yes, the easiest way is to throw some cash at a climate organization. You know Iâm always gonna start with the low-hanging fruit. But thereâs also another much more impactful option here, and thatâs to get involved with a local climate organization.
For my younger peeps, Future Coalition and Extinction Rebellion are two great options. And if youâre like me, and feel like youâve aged out of that demographic, Citizensâ Climate Lobby has almost 600 local chapters across the globe.
Maybe thereâs even a climate organization thatâs specific to your area and is putting together some earth month events you can participate in. As long as you can get actively involved with an organization thatâs moving the needle in terms of climate change or climate justice, youâre on the right track!
4. Support businesses that actually give back and actually give a sh*t!
Today more so than ever, you have a million options of where you can shop. Yes, thereâs always Amazon and Target. But there are also online businesses that have put the planet at the forefront of everything they do. And if we wanna move the needle forward with how we want businesses to conduct themselves, we have to start supporting businesses that are doing things the right way. The way that actually gives us a future in the next 100+ years.
One of my favorite places to get sustainable goods is EarthHero. They stock everything from baby gear to badass headphones. Theyâre essentially an eco-friendly version of Amazon.
Now if youâre looking to align your values with the way you shop, make sure youâre vetting the businesses that you support. If youâre not sure how to vet businesses to see if they actually give a sh*t, a great hack is to see if they have any green certifications like 1% for the Planet or the B-Corp certification. You see, greenwashing is a very real thing and too many companies are jumping on that bandwagon, so itâs important to know how to spot them and more importantly, how to avoid them.
But canât climate action also be fun?
Or course it can!
Ok, so I get it, maybe youâre not ready to take any of the above steps and are just dipping your toes into the water. If that sounds like you, here are some fun Earth Month activities that (letâs be honest) arenât gonna solve the climate crisis, but hey theyâre fun anyway and at least they get you thinking about your connection to the earth.
5. Letâs get creative + make your own seed paper
All you need are a few standard kitchen tools, some paper scraps, and any seeds of your choice. Ideally, you wanna go for native plants because theyâre much more beneficial than plants that havenât evolved to thrive in your area.
A few added bonuses of using native plants are: they require less watering and fertilizer, and they provide shelter for pollinators like bees. All good things!
Here are the instructions on how to make your own seed paper. You can use seed paper when sending gifts to your favorite peeps or just for your paper needs around the house. Once you no longer need the paper, you can plant it and see those beautiful native plants grow!
Side note: if youâre not sure which plants are native to your area, hereâs a great resource that Iâve used in the past. I even used it to create a Pinterest board for my future garden.
6. Become a master composter!
I know becoming a composting master doesnât sound like the sexiest thing in the world. But its super fun and rewarding, especially if:
- you like getting your hands dirty, and also if you donât (there are composting options for both!)
- you geek out at cool sciencey things
- youâre one-with-your-garden and are ready to take things up a notch
There are a lot of common FAQs when it comes to composting. I had a ton of questions before I took the plunge. The most common question is: how will I know which option is best for me? Youâll see that there are many options to choose from. Rest assured, thereâs a composting option thatâs jusssttt right for you! And that might be dropping it off for someone else to doâŠthereâs no shame in that!
Conclusion
These are just a few ideas to kick your earth month action into gear. So whether youâre just getting started on your climate action journey or are a seasoned veteran and are ready to align your values with the way you shop, save, and consume, there are soooooooo many ways to get involved.
I hope you accept this as your earth month challenge. And who knows, maybe your action will go far beyond earth month and bleed into every month. Iâm talking about year-round 365 baby! Letâs do this!
How are you planning to get active for Earth Day 2022?
Share your pledge in the comments below!