Earth Day hit my radar a few years ago.
My Instagram feed was filled with photos of forests, oceans and animals. There were headlines like “There is no planet B” and “Everyday is Earth Day.”
It felt like we had momentum… like everyone cared.
It felt like a movement had started, and I was excited to be a part of it.
Here’s the thing - Earth Day actually started 53 years ago in 1970.
Yes, I was late to the party.
Earth Day has happens every year on April 22nd, and each year has a different theme. This year it’s: invest in our planet.
The momentum really has grown. Earth Day now has events across the world with participation from 1 billion people in 193 countries. Pretty amazing.
Now I see Earth Day being called Earth Month. And I wondered… why did this happen?
Was it another “Hallmark” event created by marketers to sell more? Or had it gotten so big we needed a full month to schedule all the events? Maybe something else?
I did a quick Google search but I couldn’t find a quick answer, so naturally, I asked ChatGPT.
Here’s what the AI says:
“Earth Day is an annual event that is celebrated worldwide on April 22nd to promote environmental awareness and protection. Over time, the awareness of environmental issues has grown, and many organizations and individuals have recognized the importance of taking sustained action to protect the planet.
As a result, Earth Day has evolved into Earth Month, which is celebrated throughout the entire month of April. The extension from a single day to a month-long celebration allows for more events, activities, and initiatives to take place, which can have a greater impact on raising awareness and encouraging action to protect the environment.
Moreover, many organizations and individuals use Earth Month as an opportunity to launch or promote new sustainability initiatives, campaigns, and events, such as beach cleanups, tree plantings, and recycling drives, among others. The extended timeframe also allows for greater collaboration among various groups, leading to more significant and sustained efforts to protect the planet.”
Interesting. Weightless will have a new product launch timed with Earth Day / Month. And we will have promotions for our sustainable products. It’ll be pretty awesome, if we do say so ourselves.
Moreover, it’s great to know that the events and actions taken around Earth Day have grown so much that a single day is not long enough anymore.
Now we need a month - go team!
As June W. likes to remind me when I write posts like this: “We must do what we can personally, but we cannot put all of the burden on individuals.”
Absolutely true, June.
What do you think? Does Earth Month actually help us make better choices for the planet?
Does Earth Month motivate government, industry, and policymakers to do better for our environment? Or is it a day supercharged by Marketers to sell stuff?
If it is, maybe that’s ok too. Every sustainable brand has special offers for Earth Day which reduces costs and "green premiums" on sustainable products. This makes sustainable products accessible to more people. Weightless is no different (more on that next week).
We’d love to hear from you. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
To learn more about Earth Day events in your area and how to take action, check out earthday.org
Until next time,
Jamil
Founder, Weightless Clean
PS - Earth Hour was last month, not to be confused with Earth Day / Month. Earth Hour happens on the last Saturday of March. It’s a worldwide movement organized by the World Wildlife Fund encouraging people and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour, as a symbol of commitment to the planet and a way to reduce carbon emissions - much of our electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels.