Honor and Heal the Planet for Earth Day With 10 Effective Ideas From PETA
The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 to raise awareness for and to support environmental protection. Though it originated in the U.S., the holiday is now observed in almost every country around the globe! We’ve put together ten ideas to inspire you to get active for the planet! Some are quick and easy, while others require planning, invitations, and motivation. Will you do all ten?
1. Go Trash-Fishing
Head outside to enjoy the sun, get some exercise, vitamin D, and spend time with friends and family while trash-fishing! Trash-fishing is a fun way to help your local watershed. The goal is to remove as much litter as possible from the ecosystem during your afternoon. Plan accordingly. Set a time and location, invite others, bring water, vegan snacks, a first-aid kit, gloves, nets, grabbers, trash bags (or reuse old cardboard boxes), and scissors or wire-cutters for particularly tangled trash.
2. Share Snacks at Any Earth Day Event
No one is more popular than the person with the snacks! Take advantage of our sustainable eating guide and mouth-watering recipe section to find the perfect appetizer for a documentary watch party or any Earth Day event. (The stuffed squash blossoms and Thai spring rolls are particularly tasty and shareable.)
3. Ditch Dairy!
The dairy industry is heartbreakingly cruel and extremely harmful to the environment, but ditching dairy is often the final step people take before going vegan. Maintaining a vegan lifestyle is the best way to help the planet, so Earth Day is the perfect time to make this important change. Do even more for cows by taking action on our dairy rapid action center page:
4. Share This Image on Facebook
It’s hard to imagine that one cup of cow’s milk takes up to 63 gallons of water to produce, but this image helps to illustrate that unbelievable number. Let your friends know that while dairy products may not be meat, their production is just as bad for the Earth (not to mention cows). Click the image below to share it on Facebook!
5. Go Thrifting!
Fast fashion is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions and ranks second in water use. Be a part of the solution and read our ethical thrifting guide, then take this Earth Day idea further by urging Levi’s to follow its own sustainability commitment by ditching leather:
6. Host A Documentary-Watch Party
There’s no shortage of documentaries about what harms our planet and how we can help. If you’re looking for a more chill topic, choose a film or series that explores the beauty of Mother Nature, like Our Great National Parks or David Attenborough’s “A Life on Our Planet.”
7. Be Proactive in Protecting Small Animals
One way to help wildlife is to never purchase glue traps. These cruel, sticky boards are completely indiscriminate and grab hold of any small mammal, reptile, bird, insect, animal companion, or even the wandering fingers of toddlers. Read our tips on how to help an animal stuck to a glue trap, then take action on our alerts urging companies to stop selling these vile torture devices:
8. Stop Eating Animals
The meat industry is among the most harmful industries for the planet. By some estimates, animal agriculture causes more greenhouse emissions than all transportation globally. According to the UN, a shift toward a vegan diet is vital to combat the climate crisis. Not to mention, consuming the body parts of other animals increases the risk of heart disease and many cancers, supports cruelty to animals, and is a leading cause of biodiversity loss! Order our FREE Guide to Going Vegan, a beautiful, 22-page magazine that includes recipes, nutrition tips, and tricks (and more) to help you on your journey.
9. Text for Tips
Text VEG to 73822 to get vegan lifestyle tips, recipes, and urgent alerts texted right to your phone. By joining our vegan lifestyle text list, you’ll always be in the know when it comes to cruelty-free, vegan products to buy, delicious food to try, and actions to take that help save lives.
Terms for automated texts/calls from PETA: peta.vg/txt. Text STOP to end, HELP for more info. Msg/data rates may apply. U.S. only.
10. Share This List Everywhere!
Finally, share this list of ideas with friends and family! Choose the corresponding button below to share via email, Facebook, X, or Threads.
P.S. It’s Spring! If you see a baby animal alone in spring, be sure to check out our page about how to help and when not to interfere before taking any action.
