There are many, many ways to take part in Earth Day 2021, Thursday, April 22. Such as: Plant a tree! Pick up trash! Build a birdfeeder!
Or, you can take a few simple steps to make your home more energy efficient like switching to LED bulbs, lowering your heat and A/C a few degrees, and turning off the water when you brush your teeth.
Take an even bigger step and reduce your consumption of single-use plastics by switching to reusable shopping bags, beeswax wraps, stainless steel water bottles, metal straws, and cloth napkins. You’ll be surprised as the reduction in your trash and recycling bins! Or take a giant leap and update to energy saving appliances and an electric or hybrid vehicle.
Also on tap this year:
- The Town of Oak Island has been hard at work on a creative virtual program for Earth Day this year. Over the course of several days in late April, the Oak Island Recreation Department will post video interviews with local conservation groups, as well as presentations by the OKI Nature Center and the OKI Ocean Education Center. Viewers can learn about sea turtles, shore birds, recycling and many other ways to care for our planet. Go to oakislandnc.com or call (910) 278-5518 for more information on this inspiring collaboration.
- The City of Southport is encouraging everyone to enjoy its virtual Arbor Day Celebration on Friday, April 30. The city’s Forestry Committee has created an informational program that can be viewed on Facebook, YouTube, or the city’s website. In addition, Southport hosts monthly litter cleanup events called “This is Our Town.” The next cleanup date is Saturday, May 1, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. For information on these terrific programs go to cityofsouthport.com/events.
- Earthday.org will host three days of virtual events this year, beginning with a Global Youth Summit on April 20, a Global Education Summit on April 21, and the marquis event, Earth Day Live Digital Celebration on April 22, which will include panels and workshops on climate restoration, reforestation, cleanup actions, and citizen science – its newest initiative.
In 2020, EarthDay.org unveiled its citizen science initiative called “Global Earth Challenge” to empower citizens around the world to participate in environmental research. Global Earth utilizes mobile technology that enables people to observe, monitor, and report on environmental findings in their area, creating databases on scales never before possible. The initiative was established in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and the Woodrow Wilson Center, a non-partisan think tank in Washington, D.C.
The goal of Global Earth is to engage people in helping mitigate threats to their natural environment and propel meaningful changes to protect the health of people in their communities. Global Earth provides geographically specific information and action materials to help people submit data on air, water, soil, crops, insect populations, and plastics. To participate, download the Global Earth app to your phone. Go to www.earthday.org for more information on this and all the Earth Day events.
Book Recommendations to Inspire Your Earth Day Celebration:
The following books are available through the Brunswick County Library System:
For Children and Young Adults:
Let’s Celebrate Earth Day! By Connie & Peter Roop
Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants by Diane DeGroat
The Lorax by Dr. Suess
The Final Warning: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson (YA-fiction)
For Teens and Adults:
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
How to Avoid Climate Disaster by Bill Gates
An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming, by Al Gore
Brave New Artic by Mark Serreze
Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis, by Tim F. Flannery
Our Only Home: A Climate Appeal to the World, by the Dalai Lama
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