Celebrating Earth Day: Investing In The Planet

Earth Day: Raise awareness for climate change

Earth Day is a well-known global event and environmental movement dedicated to raising awareness for environmental issues, and Earth Day is observed on April 22 each year, spring equinox. The key message behind this day is that the environment directly impacts the mental and physical health of all of us, and that it’s crucial we care for the planet now—so we have a better future for both ourselves and future generations. Read on to learn about this year’s theme and ways you can support the work to combat climate change and build sustainable development.

Earth day: “Invest in the planet”

According to the United Nations (UN) website, “Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. The impacts are beyond national borders, already harming health through air pollution, plastic pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, food insecurity, and pressures on mental health. Every year, environmental factors take around 13 million people.” 

That’s why the theme for many of the Earth Day events this year is, “Invest in the planet.” This slogan represents a call to come together and change the current trajectory of climate change. It emphasizes that major investments will be required in order to have any hope of turning the situation around—investments in terms of finances, resources, time, energy, and care.

Doing your part to combat climate change: Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action

The news about the ever-increasing dangers of climate change is dark, and it causes many to wonder how they can help during this global earth day. If you’re looking to invest in the planet to help reverse the effects of climate change, below are a few ideas on how you can get involved and become part of the earth day network.

Get informed through the Environmental Protection Agency to raise awareness for climate change

It can be hard to fight for a cause you aren’t very familiar with. Taking the time to get informed about the threats facing our environment, what’s causing them, and what needs to be done to reverse these trends can help you better understand how to help, even if it’s by simply reducing your carbon footprint. If you’re looking for reputable climate education on this topic, you can explore the following resources:

• Environmental Protection Agency

• The official Earth Day website

• National Geographic content

• The NASA website

• BBC articles

Once you’ve educated yourself about the key issues, you can start spreading the word to family, friends, fellow college students, neighbors, and other community members.

How do we replicate the Endangered Species Act

We’ll all need to make changes if we want to stop the trajectory of climate change, and we can't do it alone as individuals. As outlined by many climate groups and activists, governments need to hold non-public sector corporations accountable for their significant contributions to the problem as well. Citizen activism may be one way to encourage this to happen. Signing petitions, attending rallies, and contacting representatives are all ways individuals might choose to take action, and have their voices heard by governing bodies and United States Senators. In this way, we can continue to pass different environmental legislation and continue to build on successes like the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, creation of environmental teach-ins and implementation of renewable energy policies.

Evaluate your habits and adjust as needed because Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action

While it’s true that corporations are making significant negative impacts on the planet, the behavior of consumers plays a key role as well. The more demand there is for products that harm the planet, the more corporations will supply them. That’s why evaluating your own consumption habits can be a good place to start. Not buying more goods than you need, recycling and composting diligently, taking public transportation whenever possible, and supporting ethical, sustainable companies like the Canopy Project and plant trees across the globe. You can even calculate your household’s carbon footprint through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website and act accordingly to reduce it.

Reminders about taking climate action

Remember that you can celebrate Earth Day with activities like tree planting with your local community that can be sustained year-round. This observance is designed to raise awareness for the cause, but activities and activism related to it can and likely should continue until this problem is sufficiently addressed.

For those who do take action, it can also be helpful to remember to adequately care for yourself throughout the process. We all have different abilities and different activities that we can participate in, and any movement can benefit from the involvement of all types of people, whether you’re a graduate student in the field of environmental action or this is your first earth day as a sinlgle parent of a house plant.

Caring for your mental health

Finally, remember that taking care of yourself involves mental health too. As the American Psychological Association reports, two thirds of Americans say they have at least some anxiety around climate change. This effect is even greater on younger age groups, with almost half of those between ages 18 and 34 saying that the stress they feel related to climate change impacts their daily lives. If you’re experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition as a result of climate change, speaking with a therapist may help.

Addressing climate anxiety through therapy

Living with uncertainty and fear about climate change can be challenging. It could be that you’ve experienced the traumatic effects of the warming climate directly yourself—such as a wildfire, heat wave, or climate-related illness. It could also be that you simply find yourself feeling stressed about the future and what can be done about it. Either way, therapy can represent an opportunity to get the support you may need from a licensed professional and pair it with self-care activities, social support, direct action, and other practices you may find helpful.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) 

Research on the topic suggests that therapy may help individuals manage symptoms of anxiety that can arise out of concern for the health of the environment. Based on a review of treatments for “eco-anxiety,” it seems that therapeutic modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may help alleviate symptoms and even give participants strategies for doing their part for the planet, in some cases. 

Virtual Therapy

In general, CBT can be effectively conducted online or in person—as a growing body of research suggests. That means those who have trouble finding a provider in their local area or who would prefer to receive treatment from home can explore virtual therapy. With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can get matched with a licensed therapist who you can speak with via phone, video call, and/or in-app messaging from the comfort of home or anywhere you have an internet connection.