Earth Day Inspirations: The Many Ways You Can Participate

Although you try to make environmentally sound decisions all year long, an extra push for environmental protection awareness on Earth Day itself can be especially beneficial. When people throughout the nation come together with the same goal on the same day, the efforts can really make a difference.

Additionally, if you start something new on Earth Day, you may be inspired to continue it all year. If you’re looking for some Earth Day inspiration, following are 12 ways you can help:

1. Increase recycling efforts in your home or workplace, and encourage your family and coworkers to follow your lead. In addition to recycling paper, plastic, styrofoam, glass, and aluminum, search through your house and vehicles for old electronics that can be recycled.

2. Plant a flower garden, vegetable garden, or tree.

3. Try not to drive at all on this day, April 22. Instead, ride your bike, walk, or use public transportation.

4. If you still have incandescent light bulbs in your home, swap them for LED lights.

5. Organize a cleanup event with your friends and family. Find a particular park, lot, or riverbank that could use your TLC. Pull on some gloves, bring out the trash bags, and get to work picking up litter. Just make sure you obtain the proper clearances from the city if necessary and that you follow appropriate safety procedures.

6. As you’re completing the above idea, get others inspired to do the same by joining the viral #TrashTag Challenge. Simply share before and after photos of a neighborhood area that you cleaned up, and include the hashtag in your posts.

7. Finally get around to unsubscribing from paper junk mail to reduce paper waste and secondary negative effects, such as using plastic bags to dispose of those unneeded mailings.

8. Participate in an arts and crafts project with young children in order to lay a foundation of environmental stewardship.

9. If you have a trip to the grocery store on Earth Day, say “yes” to the reusable bags and start using them throughout the year.

10. Small appliances consume energy even when you’re not using them, so unplug them to save energy.

11. Wash your dishes by hand. A dishwasher uses three times more water than a faucet.

12. Explore local environmental protection organization you could really get on board with, and then sign up to help.

Singh’s Environmental Initiatives

Every year when Earth Day comes around, people start to think of many additional ways to promote environmental protection. While that’s admirable, as a Singh homeowner, you can take pride in the fact that your home was built with many features that help protect the environment.

Consider these facts:

• Singh homes are 60% more energy efficient than the average home.
• When you program thermostats in your home to decrease their use when you’re not home, you can minimize energy consumption.
• Singh homes feature environmentally conscious water usage features.
• We are proud to offer the D.R. Nelson Energy Seal to protect your insulation by eliminating excess air leakage.

Earth Day Events in Canton and Novi

In addition to owning an environmentally efficient home, you also reside in a metropolitan area that makes many efforts to protect the environment all year long. Following are only a few examples just in time for Earth Day:

• Two events will take place in Novi. Arbor Day will be held from 9 to 11 p.m. April 27 at Rotary Park. It will involve planting and mulching trees, weeding, and more. Additionally, a cleanup of the Rouge River Watershed riverbank will occur on May 4. Call (248) 735-5628 for additional details about either of these events or to volunteer.
• The Canton Public Library will host several Earth Day-themed events and presentations. Contact the library to learn more about the following programs:
  • “Bats! Owls! Flying Foxes!” from 2 to 3 p.m. April 22.
  • “Living Green in Southeast Michigan,” 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 23.
  • “Vegetarian Eating for Everyone,” 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 25
  • “Attracting Backyard Wildlife,” 7 to 8 p.m. April 26
  • Showing of the 1972 animated version of “The Lorax,” 4 to 5:15 p.m. April 27