Don’t Miss Earth Day 2020!

Toward Zero Waste had lots of plans for the month of April; it’s always a busy and exciting month for environmentalists!  But with the Covid-19 crisis, those plans of documentary viewings, talks, classes and festivals have been altered. While some were cancelled, others were made virtual. We wanted to make sure you have some options, so here goes:

Earth Day 2020, the 50th Anniversary

Wednesday, April 22nd

• Take part in NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Home Sus-STAY IN-Ability from 12:00  to 1:00pm on Youtube.

• Watch the premiere of The Story of Plastic at 2pm on the Discovery Channel.

• Attend our virtual screening and panel discussion of Just Eat It from 7-9pm. Register here.  

• Back on Discovery, join Zac Ephron’s Great Global Cleanup with Tik Tok star, Zach King, at 10pm.

• Watch our Recycling Workshop featuring Mel Gilles of Recycle Right NC.

• Check out EarthDay.org to learn the history of Earth Day and participate in Earth Day Live events all day long. 

• Take the Triangle Land Conservancy’s Hiking Challenge.

• Read a classic! Download Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring or the more recent Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  We also like Colin Beavan’s How to Be Alive.

• Find and subscribe to an eco podcast. Our favorite is Green Dreamer.

• Donate to your favorite environmental organization. There are many great local North Carolina organizations doing great local work to choose from, including our own! 

• Take local action. 
  • Save RDU Forest by writing a (snail mail) letter to request a public hearing of Wake Stone’s latest action for a mining permit. Don’t have stamps? Earth day stamps are available from the USPS.
  • Contact your local representative to ask for action on the environment on an issue that matters to you. 
  • Confirm that you are registered to vote.
    

• Sign up for The Durham Originals’ 12 day Eco-Life Challenge.

• Make a new earth friendly commitment like saying no to single-use plastic, buying nothing new, riding your bike for nearby errands, trying your hand at gardening or composting or subscribing to a compost pickup program.

•  Got kids? Environment America has you covered with their Nifty Fifty environmental activities kids can do from home.

• Read a book about the environment with your kids. Don’t have kids? Gift one to a child you  know!

• Do an upcycle project.

• Want a deeper dive? Join the Earth Day Network’s global week long virtual conference, We Don’t Have Time.

Above all, we hope you take the opportunity this Earth Day to get outside and enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer us. 

Happy Earth Day!