With environmentalism as one of our core focuses at Acorn, we are celebrating Earth Day this year by highlighting its history and providing simple ways to become more environmentally conscious. As a small business located in Virginia, we are conscious of how our local efforts play a role towards the greater goal of sustainability.
The History of Earth Day
The first Earth Day took place in 1970 and is celebrated every year on April 22. Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, a junior senator from Wisconsin, who sought to inspire Americans to take action against environmental deterioration in the United States. He organized groups to host events throughout the country to bring awareness to the issues surrounding the environment.
The first Earth Day inspired over 20 million Americans to collectively speak out against environmental concerns such as toxic dumps, oil spills, the extinction of wildlife, polluting factories and more. Many groups had been advocating on behalf of these issues by themselves, but the first Earth Day allowed for them to unite like they had previously been unable to.
After the first Earth Day in 1970, Congress formed the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and enacted a series of legislation working towards environmental regulations. This legislation included the National Environmental Education Act, the Clean Air Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Within a few years, they passed additional legislation like the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, all of which have protected millions of people and prevented hundreds of species from being extinct.
Ways to Become More Environmentally Conscious
Becoming more environmentally conscious in your daily life does not have to be complicated or expensive. Making simple switches for eco-friendly products and habits can be easy to implement in your life. Check out this list of 10 easy ways to be more environmentally friendly:
- Use a reusable water bottle instead of plastic bottles
- Keep reusable grocery bags in your car for when you need to go to the grocery store
- Freeze foods that you aren’t going to eat before they go bad so you don’t create waste
- Drive less and try to carpool whenever you can
- Switch to LED lightbulbs
- Wash your clothes in cold water
- Use reusable dishcloths instead of paper towels
- Shop from local farmer’s markets
- Unplug items that you aren’t using from outlets
- Support companies that have ethical business practices
Our Commitment to Environmentalism
As a company that sources materials and fabricates our products, we hold ourselves to extremely high production and environmental standards. Our designation as a certified B Corporation recognizes and requires that our manufacturing standards are environmentally beneficial, and we are continually looking for more sustainable products and techniques. You can read more about our environmental efforts and dedication to sustainability on our blog at https://acornsign.com/our-dedication-to-green-manufacturing/.
By each person and business making conscious choices, we can facilitate environmental change on a larger scale, and the history of Earth Day showcases the power of individuals to create these societal changes. We would love to hear from you! How are you making greener choices in your daily life? Let us know in the comments so we can share your ideas!
Sources:
https://www.earthday.org/history/
https://pelacase.com/blogs/news/100-easy-ways-to-be-more-eco-friendly