The 22nd of April marks Earth Day. First held in 1970, this annual event aims to show support for protecting our planet from any harm and is celebrated by billions of people worldwide.
Unfortunately, many ignore that they are contributing towards climate change. From the ever-growing population, to deforestation, to building, as well as burning fossil fuels, it is of no surprise that we hear about icecaps melting or the ozone layer depleting. Sometimes we do not realise that we may be a part of it with our day-to-day activities.
As said by Greta Thunberg, “what we do or don’t do right now, will affect my entire life and the lives of my children and grandchildren”. There are many things that you can do to celebrate Earth Day 2023 and contribute to the restoration of our planet. Some ideas include:
Save water:
- Have shorter showers – 5 minutes are enough
- Reuse your towel rather than use a new one every day
- Switch off the tap in between washing different items in the sink
- Wash a full machine load of clothes
- Regularly check for leaking pipes and toilets
- Only run your dishwasher when it is full
Save energy:
- Switch off all appliances in rooms which are not being used
- Shut down or unplug computers and other electronics rather than put them on standby – electricity is still being used in this mode
- Walk to work, or use a bicycle or scooter
- Charge only one device at a time
- Buy energy-saving light bulbs
- Don’t switch on lights during the day if the weather is bright – use natural light
- Eat a plant-based meal – reduce meat consumption
Reduce litter:
- Don’t forget to recycle packaging, paper, or stationery
- Use more recycled materials such as paper, pencils or bottles
- Attend or hold clean-ups once a month at the beach or local public spaces
- Reuse the same bags when going shopping
- Plant your own fruits and vegetables instead of buying and carrying them in plastic
- Reuse the same bottle or thermos flask to take to work, school or the gym rather than buying new ones
Remember, every action you take can make a difference, no matter how small. Let’s all work together to restore our earth and create a sustainable future.
Focus on Fluency
Climate change (noun) – the long-term alteration in temperature and typical weather patterns.
Deforestation (noun) – the removal of trees from forests or other lands and replacing it with something else.
Fossil fuels (compound nouns) – energy sources formed during prehistoric times, such as gas, coal and oil.
Icecaps (noun) – a thick layer of ice and snow on a planet or moon that is covered in ice.
Ozone layer (noun) – one layer of the stratosphere made of 3 atoms of oxygen which aims to protect our planet from harmful Ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Depleting (verb) – decreasing.
Standby (noun) – a computer mode where computers are not running but receive power.
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