Earth Day Celebration: Dance and Sing, At Personal Net Zero, on April 22nd.
The Earth Gratitude project was born on one basic idea: that Earth Day needed a ritual. As it stands now, once every few years, we might clean up a beach. If we have kids in school, we might help them with a special project. However, most people, even Greenies, don’t even know the exact date of Earth Day (April 22nd), and definitely don’t celebrate each year.
Valentine’s Day has date night and gifts. Why not celebrate Earth Day with an hour of personal net zero every April 22nd with our family and friends? This honors Mother Nature in the best way possible – by loving her more through our actions. Fun with friends and family splash endorphins over the ritual, ensuring that we want to do it again next year.
Wondering what you might do for an epic Earth Day celebration? Here are just a few ideas, gleaned from the experts who have contributed to the Earth Gratitude project, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, HRH The Prince of Wales, Elon Musk, The Earth Day Network, Arianna Huffington, Deepak Chopra, Global Green and more.
· Plant an organic garden in your community or at your local school. Outdoor, hands-on learning is great for kids in so many ways (including that they really like it). Many schools have begun incorporating garden food into their school lunch program. Check out Green Our Planet, Ron Finley, Compton Gardens and The Edible Schoolyard Project for details and inspiration. (Green Our Planet and Ron Finley are featured in the Earth Gratitude ebooks, Future Earth and Clean Living.)
· Try a romantic plant-based dinner, lit by LED candles.
· Test drive an electric car.
· Dance and play music under the stars.
· Margarita or pizza party to insulate your home. This may sound like a chore, but with friends, music, food and libations, it could be a lot more fun than you think! Thereafter, you’ll enjoy thousands of dollars annually in utility savings, while reducing your grid usage by half or more. Did you know that the average family spends about $300/month, or $3600/year on utilities? The U.S. electric grid is still powered 66% by fossil fuels.
· Install solar panels (and enjoy the 30% tax credit, now through the end of 2019). Switch out your incandescent or CFL bulbs with LEDs, and enjoy hundreds in annual savings on your lighting costs (without the mercury of the CFLs). What kind of rave, solar house-warming party can you organize for your friends, to show off your $30 electric bill?
· Bike or Bird to the park. (Bird is all the rage in Santa Monica, with everyone taking short trips on motorized scooters!)
The Earth Gratitude ebooks, which are absolutely free, have over 30 ideas, all gleaned from the wisdom of the leaders who are greening our perceptions and products. We truly can have a more sustainable lifestyle that is just as luscious as we enjoy today, but is far more loving of the planet upon which we depend. The Dalai Lama, The Earth Day Network and HRH The Prince of Wales (and others) have a legacy of decades of promoting sustainability through their words and actions – and a lot of wisdom to share as a result.
Each year can be a different celebration. After planting an organic garden, you might find that a plant-based meal by LED candlelight is more fun – using your own delicious and fresh produce. After test-driving (and purchasing) an electric car, you might organize an EV road trip adventure to enjoy the savings you have on gasoline (which can amount to over a thousand dollars annually or more).
The celebration aspect is as important as net zero. Why not dance and sing and lighten up our hearts in honor of this beautiful, unique third rock from the sun that offers us such adventures, such beauty, such sanctuary and all of our livelihood and sustenance?
I encourage you to download the free picturesque Earth Gratitude ebooks, and design a celebration that’s right for you. Please invite your friends to join you. I invite you to join me.
We’ve got a month to plan it, so let’s do something meaningful, fun and epic.
Share your videos of your celebration using the hashtag #EarthGratitude. Learn more about the Earth Gratitude project at EarthGratitude.org. Click to join our growing movement on Facebook and Twitter.
