April 22 marked the 50th year of Earth Day, an annual event that reminds people of how beautiful the planet is. Earth Day is also an opportunity for people to go out and show their support and appreciation for the planet. Well, at least the “support and appreciation” part is still plausible. Going out is not really an option right now. Despite the gloom and the growing number of people with cabin fever, you can still celebrate Earth Day while on lockdown. In fact, staying home IS already a wonderful way of celebrating the occasion.
Earth Day is observed mainly to promote the importance of protecting the environment. We only have one planet Earth and unless scientists and space exploration experts find another liveable planet, we have no choice but to take care of it.
One good thing about the current coronavirus pandemic is that the planet is heaving a huge sigh of relief. With most people stuck in their homes and businesses shut down for the time being, pollution is at an all-time low.
Many people couldn’t help but be awed by the clear blue skies, something we don’t often see on regular days because of all the smog. Then we have wild animals roaming the city streets and other places while humans are on lockdown.
While some people have gotten flak for seeing the brighter side of this pandemic, it is indeed amazing that the planet is healing itself. Hopefully, before all this is over, humans finally realize that we need to take care of our planet. It is not enough to simply celebrate Earth Day while on lockdown or not. It is our duty to care for our planet and all its innocent inhabitants each and every day.
Celebrate Earth Day Online
The pandemic took our right to go out and live normal lives, at least for the time being. But it will take more than the coronavirus to keep people from celebrating something as important as Earth Day. For now, you can commemorate this event by visiting websites dedicated to the event. The Earth Day Network held a live show on the 22nd featuring guests such as Pope Francis, former US Vice President Al Gore, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Costa Rican diplomat Christiana Figueres, National Geographic Society Explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Indian actor Anil Kapoor, and wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen, among others.
Some of the performers were musicians Jason Mraz, Ziggy Marley, Dave Matthews, and Jack Johnson, Senator Elizabeth Warren, whose oldest brother recently passed away from coronavirus, also made an appearance.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and UNICEF joined forces to hold an online concert featuring more than 40 performers from different nations. Earth Day Live will also hold a series of virtual concerts, which started on April 22 and will be held for three days. Personalities joining the show include Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
American Museum of Natural History has its own Earthfest while NASA came up with #EarthDayAtHome. Other websites that held their own Earth Day celebrations include the National Park Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Earth Day Initiative, and the San Diego Zoo.
Start An Edible Garden
Don’t just settle with celebrating Earth Day in front of your computer. You can also enjoy some time under the sun as long as you stay inside your property.
If you don’t know a thing about gardening, now is the perfect time to learn. Aside from having lots of time in your hands, you’ll also grow your own food to eat if you do things correctly. This will be important in case the end to this coronavirus crisis is nowhere in sight.
(Related: Top Ways to Have A Plastic-Free Garden)
To start your edible garden, you’ll need seeds or seedlings of your favorite vegetables and herbs. Choose a spot in your yard where you’ll plant your garden. Gather the kids and start preparing the soil before planting the seeds. This is certainly a fun way to celebrate Earth Day with the whole gang.
It doesn’t stop there, however. Much like how we should celebrate Earth Day every day, you should care for your edible garden regularly. Make sure they get the right amount of water and organic fertilizer. Forget about buying pesticides and other chemicals. Mother Earth hates these things with a passion.
Composting is a good way to care for your plants, lessen garbage, and nurture Mother Nature. Build a compost pit or bin in your yard for all your kitchen scraps, dried leaves, and other organic materials.
(Related: Cheap and Easy DIY Compost Bins)
Plant Fruit-Bearing Trees and Shrubs
Now is a good time to start planting fruit trees. Severe frost has passed and there’s still time before it gets really hot. And as we mentioned, you have time in your hands. There are plenty of fruit trees that you can plant this spring. You just need to choose which ones you want to be growing on your yard.
(Related: Top Compost Bins You Need At Home)
Citrus Trees
You should consider planting citrus trees in your yard. Ever since medical experts suggested that a strong immune system will help deal with coronavirus, sales of vitamins supplements skyrocketed. Fruits rich in vitamin C also became extremely popular. Plant your citrus trees now and be prepared for the next pandemic. They’re also pretty nice to look at.
Apple Trees
Apple is perhaps the most popular fruit thanks in part to the Devil disguised as a snake, the Evil Queen, and the propensity of filmmakers to have villains eat apples to make them seem more, uhmm, villain-y. In real life, though, apples are nutritious and delicious. Plus you can turn them into apple cider vinegar, which is really healthy and useful.
You don’t need an apple orchard or a vast tract of land for that matter. If you have ample space in your yard, you can plant at least a couple of apple tree varieties.
They also grow in containers. That would be enough to keep you fed during harvest season. Once that is over, you can turn your extra apples into jam, sauce, dried chips, juice, cider, and a lot of other things.
It’s okay if you’re a bit late to the party and just figured out you can plant trees to celebrate Earth Day while on lockdown. You can still order the seeds or seedlings now and plant them once you get them. Remember, Earth Day shouldn’t be a one-day celebration.
Conserve Water
Try watching as many videos of medical experts showing how to properly wash your hands and you may notice one disturbing thing: they don’t turn the faucet off. Yes, they are experts but water is a valuable yet limited resource. We should be doing everything we can to conserve water.
One way to celebrate Earth Day while on lockdown is to turn the faucet off while scrubbing your hands for twenty seconds. That way, you can stay safe from the coronavirus while also making sure the planet has enough water to last a long time. Start this practice of being wary of your water use and, hopefully, you’ll do so even if it’s not Earth Day.
There are lots of other ways to conserve water at home. Same with hand washing, you should turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth, shaving, cleaning produce, washing dishes, and doing laundry. Check for leaks, use dishwasher only when it’s full, and take shorter showers. When you use the bath tub, don’t just let the dirty water go down the drain when you’re done. Use it for cleaning your car and other dirty stuff outside.
Take advantage of what Mother Earth has to offer. Collect rainwater whenever it rains so you have free water to use for cleaning and watering your garden. If you do it right, you can even sterilize rainwater for drinking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i82YD7uvi2s
Personal water filters, like the oh-so-popular LifeStraw, and water purification tablets are essential survival items you should have in your emergency kits. In case the water supply is shut off and you run out of clean drinking water, you can use these items to sterilizing the rainwater you collected.
Use Eco-Friendly Products
The on-going lockdown has kept people from going to malls and supermarkets. It has also opened the eyes of many to the benefits of online shopping. Despite the possible delay in deliveries, which is quite understandable considering what’s happening around the globe right now, you should consider buying your needs online and have them delivered to your doorstep. You’re not only following the government’s social distancing measures and keeping yourself safe but you also have the opportunity to help Mother Nature.
Purchase eco-friendly products like The Right To Shower Shampoo Bar & Bar Soap to celebrate Earth Day while in quarantine. These days, you can’t skip showers, especially after coming home from work or a supply run. Once you get home, you have to take a bath to get rid of the coronavirus in case you came in contact with it while outside.
The Right To Shower Shampoo Bar & Bar Soap makes you feel great in more ways than one. First, it deeply cleanses your body from head to toe making you feel fresh all over. The sulphate, paraben and phthalate-free soap also come in different scents that help relieve stress. Finally, every purchase of the cruelty-free vegan soap, which comes in recycled packaging, helps bring mobile showers to street dwellers.
Earth-Friendly Emergency Items
The pandemic made people realize the importance of stockpiling supplies and building emergency kits. Preppers, meanwhile, are having a heyday calling all their neighbors and saying, “Told you so!” or “Who’s laughing now?”
Kidding aside, preppers do have an advantage over other folks who are ill-prepared for the pandemic. If you belong to this group, it’s not too late to start building your survival kits. In commemoration of Earth Day, look for environment-friendly survival gear.
Plastic-Free Emergency Food and Water
Plastic is one of the main culprits responsible for the destruction of the planet and the death of some of its innocent inhabitants. Of course, humans created plastic and continues to use them in spite of the repeated warnings so the blame game starts and ends with us.
One thing we can do to make up for this plastic fiasco is to stop using them altogether. It may be difficult considering almost all products in stores use some kind of plastic packaging. Take banana, for example. The fruit come with its own packaging material. It’s called the banana peel. You don’t need to wrap a piece of banana in plastic. It’s wasteful and stupid.
When it comes to emergency food, canned goods are by far the most Earth-friendly when compared to MREs and other similar survival must-haves. The All-Natural Mixed Canned Meats from Survival Cave includes twelve different canned meats including pork, beef, chicken and turkey. Start stockpiling so you have enough food in case the pandemic takes its time.
WaterBrick Stackable Containers also help in protecting the environment. Compared to bottled water, you use less plastic. Aside from that, these stackable water containers lets you take advantage of space that you never thought you could use.
Solar Generator
In the event that the electrical grid collapses, you need ways to still power your home or at least some of your important devices. Generators are clunky, loud, and consume fuel at an alarming rate. Solar generators like the Goal Zero Yeti 400 110V Power Station, meanwhile, get energy from the sun.
Solar-Powered Devices
Every emergency kit should have a portable lantern, flashlight, or anything that provides light. Survival Frog Pocket Light Collapsible Solar Lantern USB Charger not only provides light, it also charges other USB devices. It also gets its power from the sun.
Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas
A celebration without gifts is, well, still a celebration but it would be a lot more fun if you give and receive presents. For Earth Day, giving eco-friendly gifts is the way to go.
Clothes
The days of wearing animal fur is over. Choose eco-friendly clothing. A number of huge clothing companies are already transitioning to a more environmentally friendly vision. Check out this list of sustainable fashion brands courtesy of Good Housekeeping.
Makeup
Many women are probably aching to go out just because they miss dressing up and putting on makeup. Of course, they can do that while in quarantine but it’s just not the same when you wear your best clothes just to take out the trash. Funny but not the same.
Keep the ladies and Mother Earth happy by getting cruelty-free makeup as gifts. Burt’s Bees offers products that are made of natural ingredients. This includes their 100% Natural Glossy Lipstick that is free of parabens, phthalates, petrolatum and SLS. The tube is made of 52% recycled plastic and does not come in secondary boxes, which help lessen the carbon footprint.
Reusable Cup
Do you miss getting your coffee fix from Starbucks or your favorite local café? You can always make your own coffee at home, you know? Dalgona coffee is making waves right now. Check the recipe here.
If a good cup of Joe is not enough to kick the cabin fever away, you can set up a little nook in your home to give you that feeling of enjoying a glorious cup in a café outside.
Are you used to drinking coffee from your trusty reusable mug at work? No one’s stopping you from using one while you’re working from home. If you left your favorite mug at the office, you can celebrate Earth Day by getting an Earth-friendly mug.
Earth Day Feast
I know what you’re thinking. You came here looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day while on lockdown and all you’ve mostly gotten so far are tips on how to be more Earth-friendly. First of all, doing these simple tasks and lifestyle changes is a celebration in itself. Believe me, Mother Nature is rejoicing at your new-found awareness of the environment.
Second, we’re not done yet. If you were thinking about having a party at home (a late one at that) when you typed “How to celebrate Earth Day,” you’ll be glad to know that you can make a meal to honor our dear planet. If you’re a meat lover, try something new and earth-friendly by making a vegetarian feast for the whole family.
Why vegetarian, you ask? The meat industry is responsible for a lot of the greenhouse emissions that are causing global warming. They also consume a lot of water to raise livestock.
If you’re not familiar with any vegetarian or vegan dishes, do a little research online. You can find lots of recipes there. In case that doesn’t work out, you can arrange for Vegin’ Out Vegan Meal Delivery Service to bring you healthy dishes at your doorstep.
Earth Day celebrations have been on-going since the 22nd while some, like NASA, have been observing the event since the start of April. That should give you a reason to still celebrate Earth Day while on lockdown. Check out Gentleman Pirate Club, as well, to read up on tips how to become a better Earth warrior.
