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The idea for a national day to focus on the environment came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Over 20 million Americans demonstrated for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. The event was so successful, that in December 1970 Congress authorized the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. As a result, Americans began honoring Earth Day on the 22nd of April every year. In 1990, Earth Day went global in 141 countries and the event continues to spread internationally, providing a powerful focal point from which people can demonstrate their commitment to being good stewards of the environment. This year, more than 1 billion people in 192 countries worldwide will commemorate “Earth Day.”
Earth Day goals: More than just spreading awareness!
The aim for a clean environment continues with even more urgency, as the possibility of climate change becomes more apparent every day. Scientists worldwide have amassed evidence suggesting that the need to take action now is more important than ever. As we have seen in recent and past news, larger and more frequent natural catastrophes such as floods, storms and other natural catastrophes are occurring, costing millions of lives and destroying the livelihood of even more. If we do not rethink our consumer behavior, we could steer our communities into an ecological crisis. We do not have to give up our lifestyles in order to affect a change; we only need to make smarter decisions. Small changes in our lifestyle can make a big difference. And everyone can do them without experiencing a significant cut to their day to day business. There is a popular movement toward “sustainable consumerism” occurring in e.g., Europe and the US, which promotes purchasing goods that are produced with the minimum amount of resource consumed in the production of those goods. A large supermarket provides goods that are grown thousands of miles away, sometimes in a location that requires extensive irrigation. Why not change the demand signal by going to a local farmer’s market? Farmer’s markets require minimal resources in order to produce goods that provide as much, if not more, benefit to the consumer — you. Did you know that many nearby cities, including Kaiserslautern, hold regular farmer’s markets? And there are even more possibilities to easily change the negative impact by doing simple things such as changing your conventional light bulbs to energy-saving bulbs, such as LED (light emitting diode) or CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs. These bulbs are more efficient and use 80% less energy while lasting up to 10 times longer. Imagine, just replacing 10 bulbs could pay for themselves within one year, saving you about $25 annually, and reducing 14 kg of carbon emissions from being produced by electrical companies each year. Additionally, turning off electronics, or even unplugging them, instead of keeping them on standby, will save both energy and money, as will washing your clothes at a lower temperature to reduce hot water bills. Do you need to use your car for short distances? Walking is healthy and your wallet will be grateful. Finally, did you know that for every degree Celsius less in room temperature, you will consume about 10% less energy – again a win/win situation for your wallet and for the environment.
Earth Day 2023 theme: “Invest in Our Planet”
Each year, Earth Day campaigners call for events with an annual altering theme. In the US, the 2023 Earth Day theme is “Invest in Our Planet.”
The scientific evidence is clear and irrefutable — human activity is causing our planet to warm at an alarming rate. International bodies of scientists have warned that we have just over a decade to halve our emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change on our food supply, national security, global health, extreme weather, and more.
How can you contribute?
Get informed. Knowledge is power – learn more about the science behind our climate challenge and the responsibility that all sectors hold in addressing the issue. Add your voice to the issues that are shaping the climate debate as well as emerging, evidence-based data that directly relates to changes in our climate.
Hold yourself accountable. Take a personal inventory of your own personal impact on the planet. Consider offsetting carbon emissions by investing in clean and renewable energy projects around the world that support local communities, drive sustainable development, and protect our planet. Other ways to get involved include donating and working towards a zero-waste lifestyle.
Unplug. Can you use energy more efficiently at home? Unplug items when they aren’t in use, by goods with high energy-efficient standards, and consider making the switch to renewable energy. All of these can help to help reduce your personal impact.
Travel smarter. Transportation is now the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States. No matter where you live, travel by car or airplane contributes heavily to our shared carbon footprint. Take public transit, biking, or walking when possible – it’s good for your health, your wallet, and the planet.
Climate action, one bite at a time. Your food’s carbon footprint, called its foodprint, is the greenhouse gas emissions produced by growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, cooking, and disposing of the food we eat. Research has revealed the tremendous impact that the mass production of meat, dairy, and eggs has on our planet. Additionally, food waste is an enormous ‘hidden’ contributor to climate change. In fact, if global food waste were a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China and the U.S. The carbon footprint of this wasted food is about 3.3 billion tons of CO2. Luckily, there has never been a better time to join efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through food choices. Enjoy more plant-based meals, reduce your food waste altogether, and compost your food scraps. Bon appétit!
Shop smarter. Do you know where your dollar is going? Support companies driven by sustainability and committed to transparency throughout the supply chain. Your power as a consumer can be enormously impactful, so if you’re in the dark or unhappy with a company’s impact on the planet, make your voice known! Shop smarter with thoughtful purchasing to minimize waste, and consider reused and pre-loved items to take part in the circular economy and keep goods out from filling our already overflowing landfills.
How does the KMC officially celebrate Earth Day 2023?
Besides the tree planting events with elementary school students on Ramstein and tree planting ceremony with 86 AW, 86 CEG Leadership and German Forest Departments, more activities will take place that week from 17 till 21 of April on Ramstein. Ramstein Intermediate School students will participate in a guided tour through the base-owned water supply plant, where most of the potable water used at RAB is treated, stored, maintained and controlled. The attendees learn about the technical equipment used to clean and protect this important natural resource! And boy scouts will install self-constructed bat boxes in installation’s forest areas.
Please also keep a lookout for daily Earth Day challenges, posted on 86 Civil Engineering Squadron and official Ramstein Air Base Facebook page, for the chance to win some Earth Day swag!
Another great opportunity to demonstrate your environmental stewardship is to recycle during the “clean where you work” and “clean where you live” events on 18th and 19th Apr. Look out for detail information from you housing office and facility manager.
If you have another event in mind, we are happy to support you putting it into practice, if not for this year’s Earth Day, then definitely for the next!
