Many people celebrate Earth Day in April. However, that isn’t the only time of year that humans should tune their focus into saving the environment. Plenty of other holidays out there exist, with the greater purpose of helping the earth. If you’re looking for ways to reduce your impact on the environment, here are a few events you should make sure are on your calendar.
Switch It Off Sundays
While this isn’t an official holiday, it’s still an important one. Electricity takes a huge amount of resources to produce, putting a strain on your city’s power plants. Combat this by making Sunday your day to unplug. Turn off all of the appliances in your home, including the computer, televisions, and phones. Instead of using the stove or oven, try your hand at grilling outside. Better yet, get out of your house and spend the day frolicking in the park. While it might be hard to adapt to this at first, you’ll find the rewards are refreshing.
Meatless Mondays
Image via Flickr by fenwench
Just like electricity, meat is a huge resource guzzler. Around 1,850 gallons of water are required to curate a single pound of beef. To put that in perspective, only 39 gallons of water are required for a pound of vegetables. Therefore, make Monday your day to try out the vegetarian lifestyle. Americans eat four times the amount of meat than the rest of the world, so by cutting back a little, you can help to reduce greenhouse gases, reduce fuel dependence, and preserve clean water.
World Water Day
Speaking of water, World Water Day occurs every year on March 22. This is an important holiday, as 1.8 billion people around the world do not have access to clean, feces-free water. How can you help? Take the time to learn more about wastewater and how it’s unsafe, and donate to the cause. Also, use this day as a reminder to not waste water, even if you live in an area that has plenty of it.
Junk Mail Awareness Week
In the first week of October, Junk Mail Awareness Week takes place. If you have a mailbox, chances are it’s constantly stuffed with unwanted flyers, credit card offers, and free magazines. Instead of just tossing this stuff into the trash to rot in a landfill, take action to put an end to it. Sign up for do-not-mail lists or contact the companies that send you the most junk to ask them to stop.
International Day for Biological Diversity
Because humans have tampered with the natural order of things, there’s a ton of problems with biological diversity out there. The International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22 is meant to address these issues. Celebrate this day by learning more about the natural habitat where you live and what plants and animals used to thrive. Try planting some rare or eradicated species in your garden to foster the return of diversity.
By spending more time focusing on the earth, you’ll be doing your part to preserve resources for future generations. Even better, you’ll find that your own life becomes more fulfilling along the way.