Earth Day is nearly here: part two

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More activities that we can all do not just for earth day,but all year round!

1. Do your taps leak? If so, did you know that this wastes a lot of water on a yearly basis? If you haven’t done so yet, then you may want to look into how you can go ahead and get started with it during the next year. I know all about this one, we have just had to run a new supply from the main water supply into our house because there was a hole in a pipe somewherein the garden. It was impossible to detect where it was, so to quickly rectify the situation we decided to run a new supply, thankfully that solved the problem.

2. Plant a tree. Trees are a big part of our earth, and planting one will just add to the health and wellness of the world that we live in.

3. Join a group that is focused on taking care of the environment and see how you can help. It can get your family involved and excited about everything that is available. Here on Menorca I am involved with Per La Mar Viva who carry out many beach and sea clean up operations throughout the year.

4. Go to a local event. A lot of communities will have an “Earth Day fair” or something similar that your family can enjoy together and learn from.

5. Stop drinking bottled water! There are plenty of alternatives out there and, if you stop drinking bottled water, you can save a lot of plastic that would, otherwise, be filling up landfills and dumps.

6. Consider making your yard an oasis for birds and other creatures. You can put in a bird feeder, install birdhouses, put in a bird bath, and more. By making it comfortable for them, they will be more likely to stick around.  Over the years we have attracted many lizards and small creatures to our garden by building rockeries and little hidey holes that they can live in, it is very rewarding when they all come out again in Spring.

7. Help kids learn about the environment by installing a play garden. These can help children to start to fall in love with nature while also being a lot of fun and helping them to get their hands a little bit dirty at the same time.

 I hope that some of these ideas are useful!

The blog song for today is:" The way you do the things you do" by the Temptations

TTFN

 

Earth Day is nearly here! What are people doing? Part one

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My friends at PETA wrote this article on their website

"Wet markets, factory farms and slaughterhouses not only contribute to potentially deadly diseases, such as COVID-19, they also release significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. A 2018 University of Oxford study involving 119 countries and 38,000 commercial farms found that beef and other animal-based foods have an “outsize effect” on emissions, noting that just 2 pounds of beef generates 132 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the production of animal-derived foods is responsible for 10 to 50 times more emissions than the production of vegan foods.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that the West’s high consumption of meat and dairy is fueling climate change and that cutting them from our diets could reduce our carbon footprint from food by two-thirds. It will also help conserve resources, reduce pollution and prevent the loss of forests — not to mention the slaughter of billions of sentient animals.

Oxford University researcher Joseph Poore says that going vegan is “the single biggest way” to reduce our impact on the planet. Animal agriculture plays a huge role in everything from water pollution and water shortages to deforestation and food scarcity. A 2018 NRDC report called the agricultural sector “a serious water polluter” and indicated that it was the “leading cause of water degradation” around the world. In the United States, it’s the main culprit when it comes to contaminated rivers and streams, the second when it comes to wetlands and the third for lakes.

A recent University of Delaware study found that 55% of the water taken from the Colorado River basin is used to grow food for cows. As a result, 53 species of fish are at risk of extinction, because freshwater stores are wasted on water-hungry crops to feed animals who are bred to be killed and eaten, even though ethical and environmentally friendly options exist.

And freshwater stores aren’t all that’s being exhausted by meat production. According to the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, cattle ranching accounts for 80% of current deforestation rates, making it the largest driver of deforestation in every Amazon country.

When Jessica Fanzo, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, studied ways to feed a growing global population — without sacrificing any forests — she found that the only option is for everyone to go vegan, and that we’ll be in “dire straits” if we don’t.

Thankfully, we’re all learning that we can change our behavior to beat a crisis — or at least prevent one from worsening. Eating Earth-friendly vegan foods is easy and enjoyable, and it will help prevent future pandemics and further environmental destruction. So, this Earth Day, let’s help our planet and spare animals suffering by going vegan!"

And from the conserve-energy-future.com website:

Earth Day is on its way, and there are a lot of us who are looking to see what we can do in order to celebrate this special and important day. If you want to care for the Earth more, and you want to take the time to celebrate Earth Day, then this article will help you to figure out exactly what you want to do in the long run. Check it out, try some of them, and have a great time when it comes to helping the Earth to be what it deserves to be.

According to Wikipedia, ” Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.”

We required this planet more than this planet require us. Let’s plant as much trees as we can. Let’s divest from fossil fuels and make cities 100% renewable. Let’s be a part of global campaign aimed at educating people about environmental issues and factors responsible for environment degradation. Let’s start now. And let’s not stop.

Here are some suggestions of things to do, not just for earth day but forever!

Earth Day is more than just a single day — April 22. It’s bigger than attending a rally and taking a stand. Here are 25 different ways you can celebrate Earth day.

1. If you are in a situation where you can actually walk, ride your bike, or carpool in order to get from place to place, then it may be time for you to consider that. The fewer cars on the road, the better off that we will be when it comes to our atmosphere.

2. You can volunteer your time to organizations (local or national) that put effort into making the world a better place and helping the environment. There are a lot of great things that you can do, and on Earth Day, there are usually local activities as well.

3. Did you know that switching all of your bills to e-bills and online invoices can save millions of trees every single year? It’s true! If you are in a position where you can do that without making everything more confusing and stressful, then you definitely want to look at the different things that you can do in the long run.

READ  Causes, Effects and Interesting Solutions to Ocean Dead Zones

 

4. Education is the key to everything that you do for the environment. If you know more about what you can do to protect the environment, then you will be able to use that knowledge and share it with others who may be interested in it as well. And that, in the long run, can make a big difference.

5. Do you have a recycling plan in place? If you already do, start looking into what you have in order to expand what you’re recycling. If you do not, then you want to take a look and see what you can recycle in your local area and if you can work to make a difference in that way.

If you are reading this blog then I suspect that you are the type of person who is probably already doing most of the stuff I have posted today!  If not then I hope that you can change one small thing!  I will be going meat free for Earth day!  

Keep up the good work in whatever you are doing for this wonderful planet of ours!

The blog song for today is: "Common people" by Pulp

TTFN

 

Visit this shop called Punt Zero in ciutadella and take your empty container to refill it!

 There is another shop in Ciutadella providing a refill service!

 

 

Another shop now helping to save the environment and reducing the tidal wave of plastic that we are all in at the moment.

There is a variety of products available, just take along your container and shop with no guilt!

Thank you Punt Zero

The blog song for today is: " Us and them" by Pink Floyd

TTFN

Earth Day is on April 22, 2021

 Taken from Earth911 website

                                                                                  

"Earth Day on April 22, 2021, marks the 51^st year that people around the world have marched and participated in projects to clean up the environment. After another year of extreme weather and higher global temperatures, let’s use Earth Day to start our personal transitions to sustainable living with a 10-year-Earth Decade Plan to eliminate one big source of CO² from our lives.

The 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report established that humanity had approximately 12 years to reduce CO² emissions to 45% of the global levels recorded in 2010. Doing so will stabilize global temperature. Combined with additional cutbacks, land restoration, and carbon capture technology, it will put us on a path to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels enjoyed by our grandparents.

Big changes in every aspect of life are required, but not the wholesale abandonment of modernity. We can eat meat grown responsibly, switch to renewable electric power in transportation, and adopt nontoxic, efficient production processes to achieve a society that could look more like Star Trek than Mad Max. It is time to give up fear and act boldly.

Get Involved in Earth Day

Earth Day launched in 1970, the same day President Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency. This year, Earthday.org aims to get 1 billion people involved in Earth Day, with events throughout the month and on Earth Day.

This year’s theme is Restore Our Earth. Learn about the upcoming climate action summits planned for the week of Earth Day 2021, and watch the site for news about other events.

• Ready to start restoring our Earth? Check out 51 actions you can take today.
• Participate in the Great Global Cleanup by joining a group or picking up litter on your own — on Earth Day or anytime!
• Hosting an Earth Day event? Register it online so others can join.
• Another great way to help is to contribute to the nonprofit Earthday.org.

Transforming Your Personal Carbon Impact

Change is hard, but we can do it for our families and future generations. The suggestions below represent starting points for a plan to cut the carbon output of your life. These are just a few of the many possible steps you could take. Each of these ideas is likely to require significant effort. And, in some cases, a significant expense.

If you choose one big project annually, such as replacing your internal combustion car with an electric vehicle, eliminating excessive carbon-producing foods from your diet, or switching to sustainable sources of clothing, electronics, or groceries, the cumulative reduction over a decade can make a meaningful difference. If we all did it, humans could hit the 45% goals laid out by the IPCC.

You can transform your carbon impact over the next decade by taking any of these steps:

Go Meatless at Lunchtime

Let’s say you and three friends go to lunch and each of you has a quarter-pound hamburger, the four of you will consume a meal that cost almost 4,226 gallons of water to produce. Add to that the 26.4 pounds of CO² emitted by the steer and production process, and a weekly commitment to avoid beef at lunch twice a week will reduce your group’s carbon footprint by 2,750 pounds a year.

If you can’t stomach the absence of beef, try one of the emerging alternatives, from mushroom-based to lab-grown burgers. Check out the Blended Burger Project led by the James Beard Foundation. The organization hopes to offer savory options that don’t waste water or produce as much CO² as beef.

Eat Locally

Eleven percent of food-related CO² emissions come from the transportation of your meal to the table. Make a change to buying local produce, meat, and dairy to reduce the environmental cost of your dining.

Watch for Earth911’s upcoming guide to Earth Day events and get started on your Earth Decade Plan. Then you’ll be ready to march with another billion humans on Earth Day 2021 with pride and accomplishments under your sustainability belt."

 These are just a few things that we can do, so I will be giving them a go, I already have meat free days and buy local produce, so I feel quite good about that!

The great global clean up is really interesting to me because I am involved with a wonderful group called Per La Mar Viva which goes out regularly cleaning up beaches and the sea around Menorca.  I know many people who, when they go out for a walk, always take a bag with them to pick up any litter they see lying around!  

The blog song for today is: "House of fun" by Madness

 

TTFN