The Urgency of Earth Day: Why We Must Act Now to Save Our Only Home

Floating in the vastness of space like a speck of dust is a rock that we call “our home” — Earth. For thousands of years, we believed we were the center of the universe. Those who challenged this belief were burned at the stake or called crazy. We were once the owners of this planet convinced that we were the only living force deserving of being in charge and that the planet was ours to exploit and destroy.

As time passed, things seemed to work in our favor, and we had no real concerns about running out of space or resources. We were the lords of our land, and everything seemed to be okay. Or at least, that’s what we thought for thousands of years.

A Brief History of the Environmental Movement

In the second half of the 20th century, technology and industry took over the planet, but with a clear and harsh side effect — the world started to suffer, and the planet was in danger. We were the culprits of these unavoidable issues. The year 1969, in particular, was significant for the world as a new war raged on the other side of the world just a few years after humanity had tried to heal the wounds from the last one. The world evolved, and technology and progress jumped from “first-world countries” to every corner of the world. Americans became the lead users of energy, consuming large quantities of gas through massive and inefficient vehicles that became popular in the United States after the war.

The economic boom of America was visible worldwide, and as industries grew, pollution became an issue that no one was considering fixing at the moment. Oil was the new gold, justifying the risks and accidents happening. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of the future, and smoke was a sign of progress in every city. While we tried to convince ourselves of our good intentions, our lifestyle and habits were destroying the environment, risking the future, and killing the present, and we were okay with that. In fact, it was so common to see people polluting that in a famous Mad Men episode, Don Draper’s family is casually seen leaving all their garbage on the field as if it was someone else’s problem. This was a common thing to do in the 60s, but nowadays it is considered inexcusable behavior.

However, everything changed when Rachel Carson published the New York Times bestseller called “Silent Spring” in 1962. An almost immediate bestseller, with more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries, it raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment, and the inextricable links between pollution and public health. For the first time, environmental awareness was a mainstream interest that not only showed up on the world’s radar but also made sense and gave us hope.

Many years passed, with the idea floating around but the world not yet taking full responsibility for the subject. A stronger stance was needed. So, when is Earth Day? The first Earth Day was in 1970. This happened when a United States senator from Wisconsin organized a national demonstration to raise awareness about environmental issues, which thanks to the new developments in communication was now seen around the country. Rallies took place across the USA and, by the end of the year, the U.S. government had finally created the Environmental Protection Agency. For the first time since the dawn of humanity, a global effort was starting to take shape and by 1990, Earth Day was an event celebrated by more than 140 countries around the globe, as a bigger effort toward the recovery and reparation of our planet, of our only home.

Today, Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest non-religious observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year. This is not a day of celebration, but rather a day of calling to action and generating a change in human behavior. It is a day where we try to understand our situation and to create global, national, and local policy changes that will set us on a better course and will, somewhat, undo the damages we have created. Every year there is an increasing sense of urgency, as the ravages of climate change become more and more apparent every day, and the window of opportunity grows smaller.

Not everything is grim and dark in the facts of Earth Day, as the awareness of our climate crisis grows around the world, so does civil society mobilization as well as the creation of stronger requests for policies. There is still a long way to go, but the commitment by social groups and the common citizen is becoming more evident, thus generating more awareness of what goes on, and what we can do about it.

Awareness is not only knowing what goes on but also knowing what we can do to change and improve what we are already doing, our carbon footprint. And what is that, you might be asking. Let me introduce you to something you’ve been doing since before you were born. A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gasses (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by each one of our actions. You don’t have to burn a tree or own a factory to produce a footprint, and in fact, the average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world, yet that comes from only being a user of electricity at home or a user of single-use plastics. Even if your car has great mileage or you have been trying to switch to electric mobility, the impact is still there, contributing to the slow but steady increase in temperature and the small yet catastrophic changes related to these factors.

How You Can Make a Difference: Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

So now, you’ve seen the bad side of the equation, the scary part. Let’s talk about what we can do to help the planet, but let’s start at home.

New York City was built with progress in mind, yet without thinking about the sacrifices that would be needed to get there. The city was built with the idea of creating the center of commerce and finance of the world, and that meant making a metropolis that feeds on energy and spews pollution. Fortunately, New Yorkers love their city and many of them are willing to do the right thing and take steps toward a greener path.

To achieve this, there are several actions citizens in New York can take to help reduce a business’s carbon footprint and participate in Earth Day 2023 in a simple and effective manner:

• Use public transportation or carpool: Transportation is a major source of carbon emissions in New York City. Citizens can reduce their carbon footprint by using public transportation or carpooling instead of driving alone. They can also consider walking or biking for short distances. Also, consider organizing your activities to take advantage of a single ride instead of moving back and forward.
• Conserve energy at home: Citizens can conserve energy at home by turning off lights and electronics when not in use, using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, and adjusting their thermostats to reduce energy consumption. Consider rearranging your workspaces to use more natural light and take advantage of windows, and not keeping your devices on standby mode but rather turning them off.
• Reduce, reuse, and recycle: As responsible citizens, you can reduce waste and conserve resources by reducing consumption and the waste created by single-use plastics and foam products. As we talked about in our previous entry, a nice metal water bottle can reduce the amount created by a single person and eventually create a positive impact around you. It’s not only the fact that water bottles are not going into the trash can, but colleagues might start to mimic your efforts to make things better.
• Advocate for sustainability policies: Citizens can advocate for sustainability policies at the local, state, and federal levels, such as incentives for businesses to adopt sustainable practices, investment in renewable energy, and regulations on carbon emissions. You might think your voice is not enough to bring change to a city the size of NY, but even the biggest revolutions in history began with a single whisper.

Sustainability in the Big Apple: How New Yorkers Can Do Their Part

New York City is known for its busy streets, towering skyscrapers, and delicious food. With thousands of restaurants and food vendors across the city, New Yorkers have access to an endless array of culinary delights. However, this abundance of food has also led to a significant waste problem, particularly when it comes to food delivery and takeout.

According to the Department of Sanitation, New Yorkers throw out an estimated 20,000 tons of single-use plastic dishware each year. This includes everything from plastic utensils and straws to takeout containers and coffee cups. This waste not only clogs up landfills but also pollutes our waterways and harms wildlife.

One major contributor to this waste is food delivery and takeout. With the rise of food delivery apps like Grubhub and Seamless, more and more people are opting to order in rather than cook at home. While this may be convenient, it also creates significant waste. Each delivery typically comes with plastic utensils, condiment packets, and multiple plastic or paper bags, all of which are typically discarded after just one use. Similarly, takeout orders often come in single-use containers that are thrown away after just one meal. While some restaurants have started to use compostable or biodegradable containers, these are not always disposed of properly and can still contribute to the overall waste problem.

So, what can we do to reduce this waste? A straightforward solution is to bring our own food from home to our offices and workspaces. Not only is this more environmentally friendly, but it’s also healthier. Articles, such as this one from Harvard Health Publishers , have shown that eating a diet rich in whole foods and vegetables can protect the brain and improve cognitive function, which can result in better productivity and job performance.

Another solution is to support restaurants and food vendors that prioritize sustainability. Some restaurants have started to use reusable or compostable containers, while others encourage customers to bring their own containers for takeout orders. For example,?Le Botaniste ?offers a fully plant-based and organic menu and it has carefully determined all of the carbon emissions for each menu item. Other restaurants like?Loco Coco ?use eco-friendly bowls and utensils made from sustainable materials, like bamboo and paper, and offer reusable coconut bowls that grant 10% off for customers who keep them and return them for their next order.

When it comes to coffee (a staple beverage of the city that never sleeps), one popular trend in New York City is cold brew. However, the popularity of New York’s favorite caffeinated beverage has also led to an increase in waste. Many coffee shops serve cold brew and regular coffee in plastic cups, which are often discarded after just one use. However, some coffee shops, such as?Maman ?and?La Cantine Bushwick , have started to use ceramic cups instead, which can be washed and reused multiple times.

Finally, some New York companies are taking a more innovative approach to reducing waste, and?Airpals is one of them . We utilize technology, coordination, and logistics to optimize our shipping routes and minimize our carbon footprint. By delivering multiple packages on one route, we are able to reduce the number of delivery vehicles on the road, which significantly decreases carbon emissions. Our approach not only benefits the environment but also enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of our delivery services, resulting in faster, more reliable deliveries for our customers.

In the end, we have the responsibility to make a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions and achieving the benefits of sustainability by adopting eco-friendly habits, supporting sustainable businesses, and advocating for policies that prioritize sustainability. Only we can make the necessary changes and give the planet a break. If you are interested in knowing about what the city has to offer,?check the NYC guide ?and take a peek at what you can do this year for Earth Day. For more interesting reads and bitesize content and tips, follow us on social media and leave us a comment about what you’d like to see and read in the near future.