Earth Day 2023: Invest in Our Planet

On April 22, 1970, citizens, businesses, and non-profits came together for the first Earth Day to advocate for regulation that has since resulted in cleaner air, cleaner waterways, and the protection of endangered species. Today, Earth Day has become the world’s largest environmental movement. 53 years later, this year’s Earth Day theme, Invest in Our Planet, is a battle cry urging us to accelerate the adaptation of sustainable innovations and business practices needed to reverse our current ecological trajectory.

Our world needs transformational change. Every business, large and small, can and must make strides to protect our planet. There’s no time left to sit and ponder the consequences. Our future depends on the changes we make RIGHT NOW, and we need bold, creative, and innovative solutions.

Is it getting hot in here?

As stated by Earth Matters in their 2021 study on how humans, scientific evidence shows a correlation between high CO₂ levels in the atmosphere and rising global temperatures. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to global climate change. A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs the sunlight that is reflected towards space as infrared radiation (heat), trapping the heat in the atmosphere. This is known as the greenhouse effect. As the world’s population grows, so does the impact of human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels. Over the past 250 years, such activities have raised carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to a level significantly higher than it has been for hundreds of thousands of years. The link between population growth and increasing carbon dioxide emissions becomes especially clear when observing graphic data, as the growth curves for both follow a similar path over the past few hundred years.

Source: Global Change Data Lab (England and Wales) – World In Data project

As the world’s population grows, so does the impact of human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels. Over the past 250 years, such activities have raised carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere to a level significantly higher than it has been for hundreds of thousands of years. Our current way of living is literally killing us.

But… there are signs of hope stemming from many countries. Each business, and each individual, has the power to make a difference. As an individual, you yield real power and influence as a consumer, a voter, and a member of a community that can unite for change. Don’t underestimate your power.

But there IS hope!

Here are some incredible milestones that the IEA’s has roadmapped in their call for a total transformation of the energy systems that underpin our economies. These achievements will close the gap between talk and action, and will allow us to save our planet, but these steps will be monumental for the economy, citizens, and governments—and need to be realized immediately. Getting to net zero carbon means huge declines in the use of coal, oil, and gas.

Key net-zero milestones for reaching carbon neutrality:

 

More great ways we can reach new-zero!

Here are some great ways that we can all help make a change, and some stories illustrating the real change that’s taking place around the world!

Plant a tree for $1.00

Forests are collectively the second biggest storehouse of carbon after oceans, absorbing significant amounts of greenhouse gasses, and they are home to about 80% of the world’s biodiversity. They protect waterways, enhance soil nutrition, and provide buffers from natural disasters. Learn more here: https://onetreeplanted.org/

Support seaweed

The seaweed industry is making serious waves in climate action!
  

• Restores and support the high levels of biodiversity in marine ecosystems with kelp forests, forming crucial habitat for at-risk species like otters, abalone, and salmon, which have seen significant declines due to human induced pressures, including climate change.
• Provides opportunities for partnerships with coastal indigenous communities to tackle threats to the world’s food supply.
• Produces products that help mitigate climate change, while supporting the global shortage for farm biostimulants, animal feed, human food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, bioplastics, and other markets.
• Improves the quality and nutrition of livestock feed, as well as the animals’ health & growth with natural seaweed-based additives that curb methane emissions from ruminants! (One cow = C02e of TWO CARS!)
• Enhances nutrition efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and overall quality of plants and crops with seaweed biostimulants.
• Creates jobs and economic sustainability for communities in both rural and urban areas, benefiting both traditional farming and aquaculture to feed the planet in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Switch to sustainable product packaging and printing!

Read our blog post to learn how to “green” your packaging and impress the socks off of your customers with your admirable efforts to help the planet. You can find LOTS of amazing for packaging and shipping supplies ideas on the EcoEnclose website!

     

https://fairwindcreative.com/package-design-solutions-plastic-free/

 

Inspiring articles from the EarthDay.org

Conservation and Biodiversity

We Did It! Federal courts restored protections for gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act.

Sustainable Fashion

The fashion industry is responsible for over 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable Fashion refers to a clothing supply chain that is ecologically and socially responsible. Now is the opportunity to shift the industry and consumers away from the fast fashion model and toward sustainable practices in sourcing, production, distribution, marketing, and consumption.

End Plastic Pollution – Break the Single Use Habit

Try the EARTHDAY.ORG plastics calculator and learn simple ways to lower your impact:

Let’s do this thing.

Thank you for taking the time to read our post, when is a sign that you care about the environment. There are many more inspiring stories out there, and we encourage you to visit the Earth Day website!

If you have any questions for Fairwind Creative’s efforts to help the planet, explore our Sustainability page, or reach out at any time!