Earth Day is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world, started almost 50 years ago in 1970. Over 1 billion people participate around the globe every year on April 22 to create awareness, sign petitions, plant trees, and more.

Did you know that Earth Day has an overarching theme each year? Last year’s campaign was End Plastic Pollution. This year, the theme is Protect Our Species. Learn more about the campaign here.

It’s Easy Being Green

This Earth Day, why not take some easy measures to live an eco-friendlier life? Here’s some tips to get you started.

1. Bring your own canvas grocery bags, or opt for paper instead of plastic.
2. Turn the lights off when you leave the room and unplug electronics not in use.
3. Replace old bulbs with a CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulb. They last 10 times longer and use 1/3 of the energy of typical incandescent bulbs.
4. Set your thermostat a few degrees cooler in the winter and a few degrees higher. This not only saves energy, but it will lower your bill too!
5. Walk or bike to work. If that’s not possible, see if there’s a carpool you can join. Find a carpool by you here. 
6. Keep electronics out of the landfills! When it’s time to get rid of your old phone, you can recycle it responsibly by donating it to a TCC Verizon store. We use them for a program called More Than a Phone where we refurbish smartphones and donate them to survivors of domestic abuse/intimate partner violence. 

Find a store.

Anyone Can Be a Scientist

If all this talk about our planet and the environment awoke the inner scientist inside you, you should participate in citizen science! Citizen science…what’s that? It’s exactly what it sounds like: everyday people like you and me participating in SCIENCE, no degree required! There’s tons and tons of projects you can participate in from your backyard or even your couch, like reporting bird sightings or helping NASA search images of space for interstellar dust impacts. Search National Geographic’s compilation of citizen science projects you can participate in here. 

How are you celebrating Earth Day this year? Tell us in the comments!