5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Month (besides planting a tree)
You probably know that April is Earth Month. And you may have read the headlines about the latest UN Climate Report with a combination of alarm and hope. You may be thinking that Earth Month is a good time to find some way to help your favorite planet.
You could join the many others around the globe in planting a tree, which is a wonderful Earth Month activity. Watching a sapling grow into a tree is both satisfying and good for the environment.
But if you are looking for a kind of reset, an action that pays dividends again and again, you may want to consider Earth Month an opportunity to adopt some new sustainable habits. A bit like a New Year's Eve reset. Don't they say that it takes 21 days of repeating a new habit to get it to stick? 30 days in April works even better! Here are some ideas that you could commit to in April that provide sustained positive impact:
Get rid of one source of plastic in your life
Plastics—especially single-use plastics—pose a major challenge for our ecosystems, our health, and for climate change.
I'm often asked, "Where should I begin to try to get rid of the single-use plastic in my life? There is so much of it!" And I always answer the same way: "Pick one thing." It's too overwhelming to tackle everything at once. My "one thing" was the plastic water bottle. An easy choice because the quality of the drinking water where I live is good and the payoff was huge. In the office setting where I worked, I regularly grabbed a couple of water bottles a day. That totaled some 600 bottles a year.
If you take a moment to think through your average day, you can probably come up with a good target for your efforts. Maybe it's that disposable cup of coffee (could you commit to take your own reusable mug instead?). Maybe it's the plastic straw in your favorite cold drink (could you do without it or carry a reusable straw instead?). Maybe it's the plastic produce bags you use in the grocery store (would you be willing to carry reusable produce bags, tucked into the larger reusable grocery bags you keep in your car trunk?).
While a guest on a recent radio show, I asked the host, Al Travis what new step he was willing to commit to taking. He realized that, while he does keep reusable grocery bags in his car, he often forgets to bring them into the store and then opts for the plastic grocery bags. His commitment for the month of April: to go back to his car to get his bags when he forgets them. I'm certain this commitment will create a new habit that will serve him well way past April.
Add a few new vegetarian meals to your repertoire
This one is for all the flexitarians or outright carnivores out there. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, shifting your diet toward more plant-based meals will give you one of the biggest bangs for your buck. But this does not mean it's easy to do, especially when you are used to meat at most meals. Besides personal preference, it can be a challenge to find the time to experiment with new vegetarian recipes.
Enter your Earth Month challenge. Commit to trying to cook one new vegetarian dish each week. There are thousands of great recipes available online. Personally, I have a couple of go-to sources: the New York Times Cooking App or The Zero Waste Chef cookbook by Anne-Marie Bonneau. Here are pictures of a couple of my favorite vegetarian meals, both very easy to make.
One-Pot Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes and Kale, a New York Times Cooking recipe
Lebanese Tabbouleh, a recipe from Anne-Marie Bonneau’s Zero Waste Chef
If you like what you cook, share the recipe idea with family and friends. This could reduce their carbon footprint too if they decide to make your shared recipe in the future. By the end of April you will have expanded your recipe repertoire-- and possibly your joy--considerably.
Buy nothing all month
I like to do this challenge in January and again in April. Essentially, other than food and any needed medications, commit to not buying anything else for the whole month. When you come across that thing you are sure you must have right away (the perfect kitchen appliance you think you are missing, the new pair of shoes, the cool gadget that flashed up on your phone), make a list of each item and its price but resist the temptation of buying it in the moment.
On May 1, review the list. How many of the items do you still feel strongly about buying? How many would have been impulse buys? How much money did you save by refraining from making these purchases? If you still badly want an item, can you borrow it from a friend or neighbor? Could you find a used version through a thrift shop (for clothing) or through a neighborhood Buy Nothing group? For the items on your April list that you opt not to buy, add up your savings to splurge on a nice meal or other experience. You will have earned it!
Cut down on your food waste
Food waste that ends up in landfills is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. This is because when food decomposes in landfills it produces methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. And in the U.S., substantial food waste (38%) is generated by individual households.
I’m going to assume that you always shop with a grocery list so that you only buy what you need. Well done! The next best way I know to cut down on my food waste is to do what I call a daily fridge review.
This takes 1-2 minutes maximum per day. Even less if you really do it daily. The goal: bringing forward and making visible the food that needs to be eaten soon before it goes bad. Here’s an example. You find a black takeout container in the back of the fridge. You open it and, to your relief, find it filled with delicious restaurant leftovers from two days before. Transfer the leftovers to a see-through container (pyrex or even an empty jar) and place it at the front of a shelf at eye level. Your hungry child may eat it later. Or you may have it for dinner. Or you may decide that you should label the container and place it in the freezer to be defrosted at a later date. The key is to know that everything in the prime real estate at the front and middle of the fridge must be eaten soon. If you review your fridge daily you will avoid surprises. Try it for 30 days. You will reduce food waste. You will save money. You will cut down on methane emissions.
Easy refrigerator management. Photo: Stephanie J. Miller
In April, shop for produce only at your local farmers' market
Assuming you have access to a farmers' market, you accomplish so many things by buying your fruits and vegetables and skipping the grocery store for this purpose. First, you are guaranteed seasonal, fresh produce. Second, you have a decent chance of avoiding plastic as most farmers will happily let you package your items in your own containers and bags. Third, your produce has likely traveled a shorter distance than the produce you would find at the supermarket, saving on the greenhouse gas emissions from transporting and refrigerating over long distances. Fourth, you will be supporting local business. Finally, whether you are an introvert or extrovert, shopping at your local farmers' market gives you the chance to connect with other members of your community.
Photo credit: Corey Sulser
April is a great month to start getting into the habit of going to the market as there is likely to be a rich variety of produce available and the options will only intensify as the season progresses.
In fact, April is a great month to start any of these activities. These Earth Month ideas are all good for the planet and they will all continue to pay off for years to come. All of these activities have brought joy to my life. I hope they will do the same for you.
