6 easy ways to help the environment on Earth Day

Today, people in countries across the world are expected to take part in a global day of political and civic action for the health of the Earth.

World Earth Day happens on April 22nd each year and is an annual worldwide event dedicated to environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now encompasses events across the world, that are coordinated by the World Earth Day Network.

Since the event was established in 1970, it can be argued that the importance of being kinder to our planet has increased more and more. A recent climate change survey shows that the Earth is now the warmest it's been in over 120,000 years.

Further, the last eight years have been the warmest on record. Ever.

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Just to add insult to injury, concentrations of carbon dioxide are also the highest they've been for over 15 million years, reports Mashable.

So, what can we do about it? How do we get involved in making a difference?

What easy ways are there for me to get involved?

1. Take shorter showers.

One quick and easy way to get involved with saving the planet is to work on your water consumption and shorten the length of your baths and showers. If you reserve water for wetting and rinsing - turning off the taps for the lathering steps - you can save litres of water each day. You can do this when you're washing your hands, too.

2. Slow consumption.

Over the last few years, we've all been made aware of the term 'fast fashion' which refers to the fact that the fashion and beauty industries churn out billions of products each day, along with extremely high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

An easy way to counter this is to buy less, choose quality items, and make them last, instead of buying more items at a cheaper price.

3. Choose plant products over animal products.

If you're looking for an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint, one way of doing so is to buy plant-based products instead of animal-based. When buying skincare products, check to see if they've got lanolin, glycerine, squalene or shellac: these are usually derived from animals, reports Glamour.

4. Cycle, walk or take public transport.

An obvious way to reduce your carbon footprint on World Earth Day is to avoid driving, and instead walk, cycle or take public transport. Personal vehicles are one of the world's major causes of global warming, including one-fifth of all the US's emissions. Try swapping your car for a more environmentally-friendly option today!

5. The Great Global Clean Up

Across the world, one way you can get involved with World Earth Day is by helping out with The Great Global Clean-Up. The initiative calls on volunteers to pick up pieces of rubbish from neighbourhoods, beaches, rivers, lakes, trails and parks.

You can use the Earth Day website's map to find a clean up located near you.

6. The Canopy Project

Since 2010, one of Earth Day's ongoing projects has been to plant trees to avoid deforestation. Earth Day Network focuses on restoring forests in environmentally critical areas such the Amazon and the Boreal Forest, as well as areas where forests have been decimated by natural disasters.

Donations as little as $1 are enough to plant a tree.

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