And Take Action for the Planet Today —and Every Day
Often when I bring up environmental issues in casual conversation, I’m met with an all or nothing mentality. That if we can’t be perfect tree-huggers all the time, then why bother? But Earth Day isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. The goal to a greener and cleaner world is only met one action at a time. You can make small changes, find new solutions, and one by one, they do matter. You can only start from where you are, and today I’m sharing 9 easy ways to celebrate Earth Day and make an impact for the better on a local and global scale.
Why Take Action
Every time you make a purchase or frequent a business, you are voting with your dollars. Your money, your time, and how you spend them, communicate to the (business) world what you value and where the demand is.
According to a report from Friends of the Earth, humans today use about 50 percent more natural resources than we did 30 years ago.
So if we want a cleaner, greener world we have to put our money where our values are. And not just when we celebrate Earth Day, but everyday.
Imagine what might change if we all asked businesses for more sustainable, earth-friendly packaging options?
What if we all opted for reusable water bottles and grocery bags? If we swapped our plastic bags for sustainable materials? What might be possible?
When people start to demand a change, in the form of their business, the market adjusts.
Create change by voting with your dollar.
Who Can Make a Difference
Taking care of our planet needs to be a constant goal and priority for all of us. The sad truth is that we can no longer afford to rely on the efforts of one sector of environmentally-savvy and motivated people. You know, those people (like myself) who believe that every day is Earth Day.
The health of our planet is not just an issue just for environmentalists, philanthropists, the wealthy, or the elite. Environmental issues are social issues. We are all subject to the consequences.
In fact, often the most marginalized and impoverished communities pay the highest price for harmful environmental practices. This is known as environmental racism—a form of systemic, institutionalized racism which has shaped our communities for generations. And it’s one of the reasons landfills, hazardous waste facilities, incinerators, and chemical plants are disproportionately placed in communities of color.
Environmental issues are social issues.
So it’s on you. And it’s on me.
It’s going to take all of us, making those small, sustainable changes to preserve the world as we know it.
So let’s get to it! Choose one of my 9 ways to celebrate Earth Day below and commit to doing it today…
1. Plant a Tree
If you haven’t heard yet, I set a really big goal for Earth Day this year: to plant 10,000 trees. Now, I have no intentions of doing this on my own, nor would I want to! Saving the planet has to become a communal effort, and with your help, I aim to plant all 10,000 trees by the end of the week.
Visit our tree-planting Challenge page here to start planting and then share it with friends, family and followers to help us reach our goal!
2. Volunteer
You might be surprised to learn how many organized and grassroots initiatives there are in your community.
From neighborhood and beach clean-ups to educational presentations and recycling drives to simply getting outdoors and enjoying nature—there is something for everyone. There are, especially now, a number of online events created to educate viewers on conservation and the environment. You can even be a part of tracking and documenting environmental threats in your area.
Search EarthDay.org to find an event near you—in person or online.
3. Get Educated
Apart from Earth Day events offering education to further your awareness, there are a number of extraordinary and eye-opening films that do so in a really impactful way. Some of my favorite ones are David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planetby Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey, Jonathan Hughes; andA Plastic Oceanby Craig Leeson. Simply learning about the incredible animals and wildlife on our planet, and what we all are facing, will broaden your sense of how connected we are, the intelligence of living creatures and their worthiness to be protected.
If you saw Craig Foster’s My Octopus Teacher, you know exactly what I mean. After watching an octopus befriend a human stranger, who could feel apathetic toward the future of this planet?
Check out EarthX’s lineup of feature and short films covering environmental issues.
4. Consider Eating Vegetarian or Vegan
The health and environmental benefits to eating vegetarian or vegan diet are almost innumerable. Eating vegetarian is proven to improve your heart and kidney health. And there’s no shortage of protein in the plant-based options of beans, nuts, soy and other vegetables. Peas are one of my favorite, protein-packed veggies!
And since we’re embracing small changes over all-or-nothing attitudes, I want you carnivores to know: you can still make a difference.
You don’t have to become a full-fledged vegetarian or vegan to make an impact! According to the Meatless Monday campaign:
“Skipping one serving of beef every Monday for a year saves the equivalent emissions to driving 348 miles in a car.”
That’s no small impact for a very small sacrifice.
Celebrate Earth Day by making one of my favorite vegetarian recipes on Pinterest here.
5. Start Composting
Composting is a great way to reduce food waste, benefit the earth and keep your household eco-friendly. It’s also a natural fertilizer that can be used in your garden or lawn instead of store-bought chemicals. You don’t need a lot of space to get started either—the easiest way to do this at home is by having a compost bin in your backyard or on a small patio.
Check out these easy DIY ideas on how to build your own compost bin from containers or large plastic bins you may already have around the house.
6. Buy Reusable Bags and Use Them!
The struggle to go plastic-free is real! I have done my best to replace single-use plastics in my home (and for travel), not just for the planet but also for my own health.
The plastic grocery and produce bags from the grocery store are some of the worst plastic polluters. I have become allergic to them (figuratively) and so I make sure to always have the tiny foldable Baggu bags on hand. Made from material that I’m pretty sure they use to make parachutes, it can hold ten times what you can carry in a plastic bag, all while being ten times as chic. I always have one in my travel Lululemon backpack for shopping or grocery runs.
Caught without your grocery bag? Time to get creative—I usually buy another reusable bag and then donate it, or awkwardly carry things to my car, ensuring I won’t forget next time! It’s a great way to train the brain to keep the reusable bags super close.
It’s estimated that in the U.S. alone, we consume 500 million straws each day. All of which are not biodegradable. While a straw might seem small and harmless, when you think about the enormity of 500 million per day, it can be overwhelming.
Not to mention styrofoam! Although it’s only one percent of all waste, StyrofoamTM (a.k.a. expanded polystyrene) is also problematic as it makes up almost half the litter found in streams and never fully breaks down as it absorbs environmental toxins. Polystyrene is littered more than any other product—polluting our waterways, seafood, and water supply with almost 30 million pounds of waste in 2014.
Packaging materials make up about one third of an average landfills waste.
These statistics are hard to read and even tougher to see floating through our waterways.
So what can you do? Ask your favorite restaurant to consider more sustainable takeout options if they don’t already have them. Suggest that maybe that give out straws upon request only. Bring your own reusable coffee cup and straw to the coffee shop.
You can influence your local businesses by making these requests. Who knows? You might just be a part of making a big impact on all those they serve, and therefore, our planet.
8. Vote
Two effective ways to create change for the better is to vote and get involved in legislation. Remember when I mentioned environmental and community harm (and environmental racism) above? Well, these issues are regularly on our ballots—so, it’s up to us to voice our opinions on them.
Voting is a huge privilege—don’t waste it! Our communities and our Earth literally depend on us showing up and voicing our opinions in the form of voting.
There are also countless organizations lobbying on behalf of the environment, our communities, our natural resources, and our animals. These organizations work with elected officials on Capitol Hill to push legislation forward that will help protect the planet.
The American Wild Horse Campaign is a beloved partner of my KT Merry Fine Art Print Shop. 20% of all sales from the Simply Wild Series are donated directly to them to support their work. The AWHC advocates on behalf of American wild horses and burros to keep them wild and free where they belong.
Another great way to reduce plastic packaging is to join a local CSA (Community-supported agriculture) program. Depending on the options available, you can receive a box every week. You’ll get a bounty of fruits, vegetables and herbs that are fresh and in-season (another way to reduce waste).
Some CSAs even partner with local restaurants to also provide delicious prepared foods, baked goods or pantry items. Every time we pick up our box, it feels like Christmas!
You can search to find a local CSA near you at USDA.gov here. Simply enter your zip code and get a list of programs you can sign up for.
Each and every one of us has a vote. The next time you’re shopping for something or going out to eat, I challenge you to pause and think about the economic impact of where your dollars are going.
Don’t waste your vote!
I hope these action items inspire you to take action and celebrate Earth Day by doing one thing for the planet today. And maybe, it will inspire you to make lasting changes that will determine the future of our planet for the better.
've spent the past decade capturing love and chasing beauty across the globe, and I believe every story like yours is different and special, and deserves to be told exceptionally.
Drawing on years of experience in the fashion and editorial photography industry, my photographs are graceful, honest and boldly natural, while completely intentional. Whether it’s the opportunity to narrate the retelling of once-in-a-lifetime wedding days, or the ability to communicate issues of global importance, or all the stories in between, I look at photography as the method by which I get to leave the world a little better than I found it.
What we’ve spent the last decade learning as we built our business, we share with up-and-coming, soul-driven photographers who want to change the world with their work.