Tee Cee's Tip for Monday, April 19, 2021
Apr. 18—Thursday, April 22, is the 51st anniversary of Earth Day. (Which, many might argue, should really be 365 days a year.) If you're looking for ways to get engaged for the day or the year, we've got you covered with four ways for folks of all ages to jump into the action:
Help Colorado reduce plastic pollution
Unprecedented Colorado legislative progress is being made to reduce plastic pollution in the state, and you can support it by advocating for House Bill 21-1162, the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act. If passed, this bill will phase out single-use plastic bags and polystyrene foam takeout food containers, reducing two of the most toxic and polluting plastics in the state. The bill is making its way through the State Legislature — lend your support by urging your House representative to support passage of this bill. Go to ecocycle.org to learn more.
Host your own Earth Day cleanup
Community cleanups are a great way to support the environment right where you live. We can't organize a big cleanup this year because of COVID, but we don't need to let that stop us. We can each do an individual cleanup on our own or host a small group of friends or family to walk around the area and pick up litter. While we're at it, we can contribute data to Eco-Cycle's community litter audit, part of a national data effort to determine which products are the largest contributors to community litter pollution. So, pick a day in April, grab a few bags (one for trash, one for recycling, one for composting), and enter your data results in a simple survey found at ecocycle.org/earth-month. Your community thanks you!
Visit a Green Star School virtual art exhibition: ReCREATE
Eco-Cycle's Green Star Schools salvaged unusable books collected at the Eco-Cycle Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM). With guidance from their art teacher, students made "ReCreations" art pieces while learning about the history of paper, its influence on art and the benefits of properly recycling and composting paper. The ReCreations art exhibit will open on Earth Day (Thursday), featuring art made by local students. You'll find some really cool art that will inspire you. Check it out at ecocycle.org/earth-month.
Become an observational carbon farmer
Join in on a community science project and local climate change solution. Eco-Cycle's Observational Carbon Farming campaign aims to test the effectiveness of using agricultural regenerative land practices on urban landscapes — including lawns, parks and schoolyards — and measuring their ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. To participate in this study, all you'll need is a 20-by-10-foot area of your lawn to perform the experiment and the ability to download the LandPKS app (available wherever you download apps). We just kicked off the program for 2021, so please sign up soon. You'll receive virtual trainings and recommendations on how to nurture your topsoil and create a living ecosystem in your own backyard. Learn more and sign up at ecocycle.org.
There are many more ways to be part of living more sustainably on our one and only planet. Go to ecocycle.org/earth-month to learn more. Happy Earth Day, today and every day!
