Remember recycling during Earth Day week and after

Earth Day 2020 was April 22 — that date marked 50 years since the first Earth Day in 1970.

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans — 10 percent of the U.S. population at the time — took to the streets, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet. The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement and is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event. This led to passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.

The formal mission of the Earth Day Network is as follows: “To build the world’s largest environmental movement to drive transformative change for people and planet.” Denis Hayes, the organizer of the first Earth Day and currently the Earth Day Network’s Board Chair Emeritus stated, “Despite that amazing success and decades of environmental progress, we find ourselves facing an even more dire, almost existential, set of global environmental challenges, from loss of biodiversity to climate change to plastic pollution, that call for action at all levels of government.”

There are a lot of mixed messages in the media regarding climate change, but according to international climate change experts, we have 10 years to halve carbon emissions in order to avoid a climate catastrophe. With the current stay-at-home order, cities such as Los Angeles, which is well known for its smog and pollution, currently has some of the cleanest air among major cities across the world, CNN reported. This is the most consecutive good air days since at least 1995. A blatant illustration how much of what we do affects the planet, and sadly, it will probably quickly reverse as the restrictions are lifted.

We continue to have enormous challenges that can seem insurmountable, but each individual can have real power and influence as a consumer, a voter, and a member of a community. We can unite together for real change. Voting citizens can drive change by making their voices heard. By electing leaders that take climate change seriously and not make decisions that are destructive to our planet and our future.

Over time, the definition of “environment” has broadened to include issues that affect our health and our communities. This can include air, climate, hazards, water, land: the list goes on. NASA, among others, are constantly addressing global challenges. When viewing Earth from space, you can see where life is struggling and where it is thriving. It is visible with that distance to see where we are doing a good job of taking care of the Earth and where we need to do better.

Much closer to home, there are so many things we can be doing on a daily basis. While social distancing and out on a walk, take a garbage bag and gloves along and pick up any trash you see on the way. Take a different route each time, and pretty soon your entire neighborhood will be tidy! Leave your car at home and use shoe leather express or your bike.

Get in the habit of taking your reusable bags to the grocery store and purchase products with minimal packaging. Ditch the single use plastic water bottles and straws for a reusable mug, bottle and stainless steel or silicone straws. Think before you print, recycling and repurposing, conserve water and electricity: all these are simple ways to make a difference.

Start a “zero waste” challenge-consider an entire month of minimizing your waste production. You might be surprised of how much garbage you create and reconsider your lifestyle. Live in harmony with the Earth by taking action to protect it.

Wanda Meredith

Chair, Recycle Hi-Line