History of Earth Day
Earth Day is an international event held annually on April 22nd. It was started in 1970 to raise awareness about the state of the planet’s environment. It reminds us that oil spills, power plants, polluting factories, toxic dumps, loss of wilderness and extinction of the wildlife are still highly prominent on our planet.
Earth Day is also the day where governments take the opportunity to unveil their recent climate action plan. This year, the federal government announced that it pledges to cut greenhouse emission by at least 40% by 2030. Greenhouse emissions are produced when hydrocarbons are burned. Therefore, when we burn natural gas or oil for things such as electricity, transportation and industrial use, we create greenhouse emissions which contribute to climate change.
Last year, in 2020, marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Meaning that the fight for climate change is still actively on going. As professionals in the event industry, it is important for us to educate ourselves to see what we, as an industry, can do to take part in climate action. We need to realize that everyone has a responsibly to help with climate change, even with small actions.
When talking about sustainability, we often refer to carbon footprint. But what is a carbon footprint? How can we make sure that ours isn’t too big? A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse emissions created by one’s actions. For example, driving to purchase food adds to your carbon footprint. So, what can we do as individuals to make sure we don’t have a big carbon footprint?
Here are some habits that we will start to implement in our daily lives:
-Unplug our electronics when they are not in use. Even if your electronics are not in use, they still use up energy by simply being plugged into an electric socket.
-Drive less. This one might be obvious, however simply thinking about what you need to use the car for (groceries, pharmacy, dropping off the kids at school) and doing them all at once instead of multiple trips is eco-friendlier and more practical. Of course, walking, biking and using public transport should be considered first if doable.
– Think about your purchasing habits. Why are you are buying this? Where was it made? How was it made? What will you do with it when you don’t need it anymore? By asking this question before buying anything, you will find yourself thinking twice about your purchases.
– Extend your new sustainable practices to your work life. As mentioned above, as an industry, event planners should be more aware of ways to reduce their carbon footprints at their events. Therefore, when planning events, event professionals should educate themselves to find better practices.
Make It Your Own
Of course, not all of these habits will work for everyone. Therefore, it’s about what works for your lifestyle and what you feel comfortable changing. However, we should all aim for one goal, and that is to better the environment of OUR planet.
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