Earth Day - Helping the Mother Earth today and tomorrow...

Our lovely Blue Planet 🌍... 

Our Mother Earth has its birthday today... 

It's 22 nd April - THE EARTH DAY...                                               

So, today, let's celebrate the mother of us all, THE MOTHER EARTH... 

Our Mother Earth was born some 4.5 billion years ago and no one knows the exact birth date, then how do I call 22 nd April the Earth's birthday? 

Until April 1970, everyone was just enjoying the blue planet's privileges. It was Senator Gaylord Nelson from US who recognised the importance to save our living planet. He was perturbed by the fact that no institute/ government focused on the protection of Earth's environment, so he created Earth Day on 22nd April, 1970. About 20 million people supported this noble cause to save and protect our Mother Earth. 

So, this makes Earthday - Birthday. Because, this was the day when human race celebrated the Earth (like this), for the first time. 

We all owe a lot to Mother Earth. Let's find some ways in which we can do our bit, to help our Mother planet, for I believe- "If Earth would blossom, mankind would prosper."

Helping the Earth @ Home

1. The primary help would be decongesting the Earth with our waste. 

But how is that possible? 

a) Government is stressing on the importance of geela (wet) and sookha (dry) kachra segregation. What do they include? 

[Image courtesy: @buzzing_science]

But our homes have other waste too...

What about sanitary napkins and baby diapers? Are they wet waste or dry waste?

What about old batteries and cells of remotes and toys? 

What about old bulbs, fluorescent tubes, LED lights?

The above mentioned all come under "Biohazard Waste"

The colour code for biohazard waste is Black. It is not stressed upon much, as of now. But we can have a separate dustbin (kept in bathrooms) with black biodegradable polythene for the same.

So, mommies, encourage your kids to follow this from childhood. 

What about pencil shavings, the major waste of kids?

Ask them where would they put them? Green bin or Blue bin? - Though dry, pencil sharpenings go in green bin with the wet waste. Why? Because they are biodegradable and can help in compost formation.

b) What type of polythene bags should be used for waste collection?

Now-a-days many types of biodegradable polythene bags are available in market or online. Please avoid old plastic polythene bags. They are already enough on this planet.

2. Limit the use of ACs to limit CFCs:

Please keep extra lights and fans switched off. Switch off the Air Conditioner, if the weather outside is pleasant. Open the windows. Air conditioners are major contributors to CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons). CFCs are eating our precious and protective ozone layer. They are the major constituent towards global warming. These CFCs stay in our atmosphere for about 52 years and our next generation has already great stock of CFCs.

3. Earth's Air - Indoors (ignored by all)

Do you all know- our particle-board fancy furniture, our carpet, wall paints, shoe polish, air fresheners, perfumes etc emit some harmful gases and volatile compounds?

They all make our indoor air heavily polluted with xylenes, toluenes, formaldehydes etc. How can we decrease such harmful gases and make our environment clean?

By planting few simple humble greens. Though few are expensive, but they are worth buying. Skip one fancy dinner or an expensive dress and get fresh air for your family. 

Top indoor plants which purify indoor air are:

                                                                                         Image collage ⓒ Day Night Tinkering Mom

4. Say big NO to disposable utensils-

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They are basically made from either food-grade plastic or styrofoam or plastic-coated paper. Two major reasons to avoid them are - first they are not good for health (harmful microplastics do enter our bodies through them) and secondly, they add to the non-biodegradable load of the Earth. According to one study, the styrofoam takes 500 years to forever for degradation.

5. Tiny cut outs from plastic packet edges: 

Do not cut the milk packets or grocery packets from the edges as shown-

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The tiny, snipped triangles are most difficult to recycle and if not recycled, they get converted into microplastics and further into microbeads, which enter water bodies and landfills.

Helping the Earth when outside Home

1. Always carry one biodegradable bag in your handbag/ purse, if going out with kids-

A trip near or far-home with kids involves their chitter-pitters with biscuits, chips, chocolates and what not? What about their wrappers? Always carry a biodegradable bag with you, in case you don't find a dustbin.

Encourage your kids not to throw any small or big litter- on the roads, in the streets, on a beach, in society compounds and at neighbour's place. 

2. Plant a tree, one in a year-

Awareness about the tree plantation is on the rise. Earth day, Environment day and Van Mahotsava celebrations are few noble initiatives for the same. But why wait only for these days?

Why not plan to plant a tree every year on our birthday, or kid's birthday, or anniversary, or salary increment, or new year?

Talk around. You will get to know certain institutions or groups which can help you plant a tree. Believe me, seeing the tree grow with you is an unexplainably calm feeling.

So, lets pledge to plant one tree a year, on the day of your choice.

3. Share a car or cab to office / prefer a school bus as against self-pick-drop-

Four benefits of sharing a cab / preferring a school bus:

1. Increased social development 

2. Easy on pocket- as petrol and diesel prices have sky-rocketed.

3. Decongested roads

4. Cleaner environment- We all are aware about harmful emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles. The emissions are responsible for increased air pollutants, acid rain, global warming, and greenhouse effect.

4. Smile-

Smile :) and Nature would smile back

Isn't the frog smile cute?

Smile -for it spreads calmness and positivity which, in turn, makes our Earth to be less polluted with negative energy. Happy minds make happy places and -

"a happy mankind would make a happy planet"