Ways to Celebrate Earth Day 2012

Earth Day 2012 is this Sunday, April 22. For lovers of all kinds of camping, this is an important day.

In the past, we have asked Lost in the Woods readers what they most enjoy about camping. Almost all the responses relate to the enjoyment of the fresh air, of nature, the escape from the city life, or the experience of being in the wilderness. These wonderful things are possible in part thanks to the modern environmental movement.

The first Earth Day, which occurred in 1970, claims responsibility for kick starting this movement. The important 1970 amendment to the Clean Air Act and the passage of the Clean Water Act occurred later that year; the Endangered Species Act followed within two years.

This Earth Day, do something to help protect the environment that you love. Here are a few ideas:

Bike to work for the week
There’s no need to limit your Earth Day celebration to Sunday, so go ahead and strap on your bike helmet all week long. Keeping your car turned off for the week has great environmental benefits. The burning of fuels when you drive your car releases carbon dioxide into the air. This C0₂ plays a large role in climate change. When you bike to work, you reduce your negative impact on the environment, plus you are saving money. So map out a great bike path to your office and enjoy the fresh air on your ride to work next week!

Check out your local farmer’s market
Luckily for you and your belly, this year’s Earth Day falls on a Sunday – a day when most cities’ farmer’s markets are open. When you support local farmers, you are local economy and the community in which you live. You also know that those vegetables, fruits, and breads were grown or made in your area and they traveled a very short distance to get to your family’s dinner table; this means the energy use required to get you the food is relatively low. When you buy food at the grocery store that is not local, you can expect that it had to travel for another part of the country or globe to get to you, which requires much more energy to be used and more CO₂ to be released into the environment. This food also requires paper and plastic packaging that typically is not recyclable. Check out your farmer’s market, and consider making this a weekly trip! Eating locally, sustainably, and seasonally is a great way to protect the environment.

Camp out and picnic in your backyard
If you are at a complete lost for an Earth Day activity, pull out your camping tent and opt for your go-to activity: camping. Getting out of your house for the entire day means you are not using any energy. When you’re camping just in your backyard, you eliminate all driving, too! Spend Saturday night camping, and pack a cooler for all day Sunday so you can picnic. Not only are you cutting down on energy, but you are also developing a great appreciation for the environment around you, which is just as important to protect as the wild forests. If you don’t have a backyard, camp out in your house, keep the lights off all day, and walk to a local park to enjoy fresh air.