Every year April 22nd is being celebrated as ‘Earth Day’ to make people aware of the problems faced such as deforestation, pollution etc which is affecting Earth and which inturn will affect life on earth if proper measures are not taken.

Earth Day is celebrated with a specific theme in mind to inspire people and agencies to come together to protect our planet and make it a better place to live and survive.

This year, Earth Day is being celebrated with the theme ‘Invest in our Planet’.

Here are the ways by which we can contribute to the success of Earth Day celebrations and create awareness among people about the problems plaguing the Earth.

• Reduce, reuse and recycle

The best way of ensuring that we keep our Earth free from non-biodegradable materials like plastics, is to reduce the use of non-biodegradable materials, recycle and reuse the stuff that we have in our daily life.

• Carry your own water bottles while traveling instead of buying.
• Donate the read books to the library instead of throwing it away.
• Reuse the leftover pages in the school notebook as practice sheets.
• Torn clothes can be used to make handbags or bags to carry vegetables
• Inplace of buying new books to read, join a library. Donating the already read books to the library also helps to recycle and reuse.

• Protect our natural resources

Water, soil, trees, plants, and animals are all our natural resources. They are precious since our sustenance is based on their balance in nature.

• Fix your taps to prevent leakage which inturn causes wastage of water
• Use fan and light only when required to save on electricity
• Use the filtered water from RO purifier to water the plants instead of throwing it away
• Use a bucket of water to clean the surroundings or for cleaning vehicles instead of using a pipe.
• Rainwater harvesting is a must for every house to sustain groundwater levels.
• Use of energy efficient light bulbs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Fight pollution instead of contributing for it

Environmental pollution is one of the major concerns for us – not only is it affecting our health but also our future generations will be left with unclean air to breathe and unfit water for use.

• Use organically grown food to promote organic farming inplace of chemical laden food
• Grow your own food if you have space, small terrace gardens or pots in the balconi can give you tasty produce and even help to absorb environmental pollutants
• Do not throw plastics and papers in the water bodies. Do not encourage littering. 
• Segregate dry, wet waste as well as medical waste and dispose of them separately.
• Use non-toxic cleaning materials to clean the floor or dishes or clothes to prevent these chemicals from mixing with natural water bodies.

• Grow more trees

Schools, educational institutions as well as companies must encourage the planting of one tree by each student or employee and to take care of them. Unnecessary chopping of trees in the name of development should not be encouraged.

Youth should join hands with NGOs, participate in the programs that create awareness about saving nature.

• Walk or use a bicycle

Walking or cycling is good for health. Many of us use vehicles even if we have to go to a nearby shop. Mindful use of our vehicles can cut down on pollution. 

• Car pooling and use of public transport can also help to reduce the pollution
• Walking if going for short distances
• Using a bicycle can help to conserve energy and improve our overall health.

• Avoid wastage

One third of the food produced is globally wasted. We must be mindful of this wastage and prevent it with the following tips

• Keep a track of vegetables and fruits purchased, use it before its expiry date.
• Cook in optimal quantity to avoid wastage and prevent too much leftovers
• Reuse leftovers quickly
• Use the unused leftovers, peels of fruits and vegetables for composting and for plants.

When each one of us contributes to conserving this planet, we start investing in conserving our Earth. This leads to preserving our natural resources and energy which is facing shortages.

Mindful steps towards conservation, preservation and reducing wastage can go a long way in ensuring a better planet for everyone to stay happily and peacefully.