Celebrating Earth Day, April 22

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Environmentalism was not something always at the forefront of my mind, but since becoming a mom I can’t help but think about how we can all do more to reduce our footprint to make sure this Earth is still a good place to live for our kids, grandkids, and great grandkids.

Albuquerque Mom's Blog::Earth Day

Earth Day got its start in 1970 after 150 years of industrialization and polluting our planet.  The movement has done some great things to help stop the destruction of Earth and serves as a great yearly reminder to us to be mindful of how the things we do can affect the planet we live on.

Sometimes I feel like I personally read about problems that are so big like our Earth’s pollution and extinction of species, and I get overwhelmed and think there’s nothing that I can actually do to do anything about it.

But if everybody did something, would it work?

If everyone did a few small things, big things would happen. This is such an important lesson for our kids!

So for Earth Day my hope for you mamas is that you can see the beauty of the Earth we live on and take a couple of small little steps toward preserving that beauty for our sweet babies and grandbabies!

Albuquerque Mom's Blog Earth Day

So what can you do to help? Here are just a couple of small things that can make a difference!

Eat Better

The meat industry generates one fifth of the greenhouse gasses. Pesticides are harmful to the environment and damage the nervous systems of bees causing them to abandon their hives and pollinate the plants we need to live.

Make it a point to eat less meat, poultry, and dairy. Start a Meatless Monday. Start basing more of your meals around plants instead of meat, and use things like beans and lentils for your protein.

Buy organic when you can. Shop in season items to make this more affordable (and maybe put the chips, crackers, and cookies back. I know these things take up a lot of my budget when I get them.).

And include your kids in your plans to eat better! Have them pick out veggies at the store to try and then help prepare at home. My 2-year-old loves this! Or plant your own organic garden.  There are some great nurseries in Albuquerque, and this is the perfect time of year to do some planting!

Ditch Plastic

I really should say reduce because I know we aren’t really going to ditch it all. But plastic fills landfills and oceans at alarming rates. It’s toxic to marine life and the coral reef systems, and it’s toxic to us.

Easy Ways To Reduce

Reusable bags at the grocery store. They save so much and really are so much better.  Anyone ever have a jar of pickles fall out of a plastic bag that ripped? Not going to happen with a reusable one! If you’re feeling ambitious, invest in some produce bags too!

Reusable water bottles and mugs. Bonus – many of these will keep your drink colder and hotter for longer!

Use real utensils instead of plastic ones.

Same goes for plates. No more paper plates. Trust me. You can handle those dishes!

Shop with Intention

Clothing fills so much of our landfills and uses so many resources to produce it. We tend to turn over our closets quickly or just have way too much in them. A simple way to help here is to not just shop deals, but to buy only what you really love and need. Think about wearing an item 30 times when you are considering purchasing, and consider thrifting.

Below are some events happening in Albuquerque for Earth Day.

  • EarthFest 2022 with La Montanita Co-op Food Market. Online EarthFest events will take place on April 17 & 24 from 10am–1pm each day, with recordings available later. Learn more here.
  • Join the Albuquerque BioPark to support their sustaining efforts. Check out the city’s Earth Day Guide.
  • 2022 Earth Day Challenge Run/Walk – Albuquerque. Find out more here.

  • Celebrate Earth Day with Ranger Rebecca, Instructional Coordinator Carly, and Site Manager Ethan as they broadcast an Earth Day special from Los Luceros Historic Site, our state’s newest historic site. Get all the details here.
  • Participate in the Great Global Cleanup! Find out more here.
  • Attend the worldwide virtual Earth Day summit. Get all the details here.

Originally published April 2019

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