How to Turn Earth Day into “Earth Lifestyle”.

September 10, 2024

In case you’re wondering about the origins of this annual event, one that continues to blossom from one year to the next, here are a few key milestones:

1. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970.
2. Earth Day #2 wasn’t celebrated until 20 years later but by then had gained worldwide recognition.
3. On Earth Day 2009, Disney released a documentary film called Earth that followed the migration paths of four animal families.
4. On the very first Earth Day, 20 million people gathered in the streets of America to protest the industrial revolution. An environmental movement was born as a result
5. Every year on April 22, men, women, and children collect garbage, plant trees, clean up coral reefs, show movies, sign petitions, and plan for a better future for our planet.

Still, let’s be clear about one thing: concerns about environmental protection did not originate with Earth Day nor are they confined to one annual, 24-hour-long celebration and then forgotten until April 22 comes around again.

Environmental protection is the responsibility of everyone, and here are some very simple but effective ways you can lend a steady helping hand:

• Don’t allow water leaks to sit unattended. If just one faucet in your home leaks just one drop per minute, that’s the annual equivalent of 34 gallons.
• Standard kitchen and bathroom faucets use between 4 and 7 gallons of water per minute, with much of that water going right down the drain and therefore serving no useful purpose. But did you know that all you need is 1.5 gallons per minute from your bathroom faucet for your personal hygiene needs, and 2.5 gallons per minute in the kitchen to effectively clean your dishes? And all it takes to save that much water is adding an aerator to each faucet in your home.
• By the time your heating or cooling system has reached 10 years old, on average it’s operating at no better than 60% of its original efficiency. The efficiency rating could be even worse if you don’t have annual maintenance performed by a qualified professional or routinely clean and replace your filters.