Earth Day 2019 revived consciousness for mother nature, spurring a number of trash cleanups, festivals, and other environment-related events in the Bay Area and around the world.
Although Earth Day was officially on April 22, many Bay Area organizers opted to hold their events on the weekends before and after the national holiday for the sake of convenience.
Alameda’s Earth Day Festival was last Saturday; it featured a number of local artists, musicians, and activities for children at no cost.
The festival also included educational seminars on how to clean up and maintain the Earth’s environment.
“As part of the celebration, it is our goal to present simple lifestyle changes to help the environment,” said the City of Alameda’s official website.
This is a motivation shared by all Earth Day festivities: to educate and spread awareness for our planet’s health.
A message from the Trump Association shared a similar sentiment: “Earth Day is a celebration of the abundant beauty and life-sustaining bounty of our natural environment. On this day, we reaffirm our responsibility to protect God’s wondrous creation for future generations.”
However, the initiatives of Earth Day do not have to be limited to just one day. With only one or two minor lifestyle changes, like utilizing reusable bags instead of plastic ones, everyone can embrace Earth Day ideals year-round.
According to Pacific Northwest Waste Management, only 1% of plastic bags in the U.S. are properly recycled. This means that of the 1500 plastic bags that enter the average American household annually, only 15 are recycled.
“My parents like using reusable bags since they’re cheaper in the long run. We use the insulated ones so they’re better for our food than plastic bags are when we go grocery shopping,” said Olivia Troy, a sophomore.
By simply remembering to grab a bag before going out to shop or keeping a few canvas bags in the family car, Americans can greatly reduce the negative impact they have on the environment.
For those who wish to have a greater impact on maintaining the planet, there are ample opportunities to contribute aside from just saving a number of plastic bags a year.
The Pacific Beach Coalition in the Bay Area, for example, hosts 10 different beach cleanups in Montara, Daly City, Half Moon Bay, and Pacifica every month.
“Our field and education programs offer first-hand experiences that teach the importance and value of protecting and preserving our ocean, beaches, water quality, wildlife, and native habitat,” said the Pacific Beach Coalition’s official informational page.
These cleanups are open to all, and volunteers can sign up online by answering a short survey.
This is only one option of many, but all contributions, big and small, help people work towards something bigger than what any individual can accomplish alone: to save the planet so it will be around for generations to come.
