Earth Day 2011

Earth Day 2011 is themed after the Billion Acts of Green Campaign. To date, we have collected over 100 million Acts of Green and Earth Day events in 152 countries.

How You Can Get Involved: There are hundreds of ways for you to get involved in Earth Day this year. Visit our Earth Day 2011 page for a full breakdown of programming. Want to get started right now? We recommend that you organize an Earth Day Event in your community or attend an event near you, and pledge an Act of Green. You can event check out an environmentally themed movie, like Mia and the Migoo.

Earth Day 2011 Highlights

• Large Earth Day events in 17 of the largest U.S. cities, including St. Louis, San Francisco, Dallas, and New York anticipate thousands of people often over multiple days. Volunteer service is sweeping the across the world, with cities such as Columbus, OH expecting over 4,000 people to plant community gardens, clean up riverbanks and remove invasive vegetation from parks.

• Over 150 cities and towns in India are holding Earth Day events, with an enthusiasm rivaling the very first Earth Day in 1970. Earth Day India 2011 partners include the million-member trade union Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and the Center for Environment Education's Paryavaran Mitra Project. SEWA, founded in 1972 by noted Gandhian and civil rights leader Dr. Ela Bhatt, is coordinating Earth Day events in 10 districts of western India, while the Center is creating “Environment Friends” (Paryavaran Mitras) in 100 schools nationwide. The Center is also working with one of India's largest public sector companies, the Steel Authority of India.

Earth Day is a good time to make a commitment to learning more about the environment and how you can help to protect it. Read up on an issue such as pollution, endangered species, water shortages, recycling, and climate change. Or, learn about a region you've never considered before, like the Arctic, the deserts, or the rainforests. Think about the issues that concern you the most and if you haven't done so already, join a local group that undertakes activities to help protect the environment in your area.

Buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Support local growers and producers of food and products - these don't have to travel as far and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Take your drink container with you, and don't use any disposable plates or cutlery. Recycle all the things you do use for the day or find other uses for things that you no longer use. Carry a cloth bag for carrying things in and recycle your plastic bags.

Get children to recycle their old toys and games. By giving their old toys and games to younger children who could make use of them, older children learn two lessons: One is about giving to others and the second is about reusing and recycling instead of throwing things away. Adults can also do this with clothes, electrical items, books and more.

Hold an Earth Day fair. Maybe your school, your street, your local neighborhood is interested in getting together to have an environmental fair. Things to have at the fair include demonstrations of environmentally-friendly products, children's artwork, healthy/locally grown foods to eat, animal care demonstrations, games for the children made of recycled products, musicians and actors performing environmental music and skits, stalls which are recycling unwanted treasures and books, local environmental organisations presenting their issues and wares. Money raised can go towards a local environmental restoration project or to an environmental group agreed upon by all the participants running the fair.

Teach others about the environment. Teachers, professionals, students, in fact anyone who cares about the environment and is willing to teach others, can all provide environmental lessons for others. Most schools already celebrate Earth Day in the classrooms with activities but there are many other ways you can teach about the environment.

Wear green and/or brown. Dress in environmental colors for the day.

Finally, THINK GREEN and ACT GREEN!

10 Ways to go GREEN and SAVE GREEN

How can we live lightly on the Earth and save money at the same time? Staff members at the Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental organization, share ideas on how to GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN at home and at work.

Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyone's "going green." We're glad you want to take action, too. Luckily, many of the steps we can take to stop climate change can make our lives better. Our grandchildren-and their children-will thank us for living more sustainably. Let's start now.

We've partnered with the Million Car Carbon Campaign to help you find ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. This campaign is uniting conscious consumers around the world to prevent the emissions-equivalent of 1 million cars from entering the atmosphere each year.

Keep reading for 10 simple things you can do today to help reduce your environmental impact, save money, and live a happier, healthier life.



1.Save energy to save money.
State of the World 2009:
Into a Warming World ◦Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
◦Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
◦Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.
◦Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
◦Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.


2.Save water to save money.
◦Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.
◦Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.
◦Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
◦Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.


3.Less gas = more money (and better health!).
World Watch Magazine ◦Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.
◦Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.
◦Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.


4.Eat smart.
◦If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.
◦Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy.
◦Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.
◦Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain. This is especially true for seafood.


5.Skip the bottled water
◦Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.
◦Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.
◦Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.


6.Think before you buy.
Low Carbon Energy Report ◦Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.
◦Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.
◦When making purchases, make sure you know what's "Good Stuff" and what isn't.
◦Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.


7.Borrow instead of buying

◦Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.
◦Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.


8.Buy smart.
Climate Change Reference
Guide ◦Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.
◦Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.
◦Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).


9.Keep electronics out of the trash.
◦Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
◦Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.
◦Recycle your cell phone.
◦Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event.


10.Make your own cleaning supplies.
Join the Million Car Carbon Campaign by purchasing your Earth-Aid kit today.
◦The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.
◦Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.