3 Easy Ways to Help the Planet this Earth Day
Earth Day is approaching this Saturday April 22nd and we would like to give a quick guide on how YOU can help us celebrate. Earth Day is certainly not an actionable celebration such as Christmas, Valentines Day, or most recently Easter because there is no gift-giving or family dinner, yet there is so much you can do!
Firstly, what is Earth Day you may ask? Earth Day is an annual global celebration of our beautiful planet. The mission on this day is to educate and activate the environmental movement. Whether moving away from personal behaviours that harm the planet or standing up against corporations, the end goal is a healthier planet. For us, the big fight is against the Mountain Pine Beetle. We are hoping to raise awareness about the epidemic and plant as many trees as possible on Earth Day.
So, here are 3 quick ways to help the planet on Saturday April 22nd
1) Go Vegetarian for a Day!
Living a life meat-free may be a scary endeavour, but one day can’t be too bad! Livestock produce 14.5% of all greenhouse gases and result in the deforestation of 94,000 km squared per year, revealing the huge impact raising cattle and other meat products has on the planet. So how does saying no to the steak exactly help? It’s not like you’re the one raising the cattle, right? But, with every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Reducing the amount of meat consumed means that retailers will reduce the amount of meat that they purchase. Less meat purchased will lead to less meat production. Therefore, there will be less livestock on our planet releasing polluting methane gas and causing the destruction of our rainforests.
2) Park the Car!
Lucky for us Earth Day falls on a Saturday this year! This means that your daily commute to work can be eliminated or at least reduced. We all know cars are the most common perpetrators of air pollution, contributing up to 75% of carbon monoxide per year. That is why it’s fundamental that we turn to other alternatives such as electric vehicles, public transportation, walking or cycling. This Earth Day, bust out the good ole’ two wheels and go for a bike ride. Cycling is an awesome way to get from point A to B, quickly while also getting a wonderful workout. The average human can typically burn 680 calories from a single hour of biking. So, our suggestion is to grab a friend or your family, bike somewhere about an hour or so away, grab a meal and bike back. Now you can eat whatever your heart or tummy desires guilt-free, meanwhile reducing your carbon footprint!
3) Plant a Tree!
I know, I know, how convenient we recommend planting a tree. But, Earth Day provides a perfect opportunity to raise awareness and help revitalize the BC forest landscape. Did you know? Planting a single tree offsets the CO2 of driving a car for 50,000 kms. Crazy right? Let’s put that into perspective. The average Canadian drives 20,000km per year, so planting one single little tree can offset 2.5 years of driving a car! Although planting trees seems quite intimidating, it’s actually very easy. It’s not like you have to actively go out and get down right and dirty. There are many organizations that provide you with ample opportunity to plant a tree. Our partner One Tree Planted plants trees all over the world, and can help you plant a tree for $1. Or you can support companies such as TenTree and purchase one of their awesome clothing items to plant ten trees. Lastly, for a limited time, on April 22nd you can plant five trees for every Killwood product sold. This means that one product will help you offset driving a car for 12.5 years! It’s amazing how such a small effort can go such a long way!