Earth Day

Creative community celebrations

By Yardi Blog Staff on Apr 16, 2014 in News

There’s no better time than the present to start making a difference; and the best place to start is in your own community. Not only is Earth Day right around the corner, but eco-friendly action can help Mother Nature thrive.

First celebrated on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was launched to honor our planet, acknowledge its fragility and promote the development of healthy communities. It was initiated by Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the terrible aftermath of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif. (The hometown of Yardi.) The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. “It was a gamble,” Gaylord later commented, “but it worked”. What started as a “national teach-in on the environment” has now evolved onto a global-scale movement observed in over 192 countries around the world.

At present, more than one billion eco-minded participants worldwide take the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment next Tuesday through events and festivities all focused on environmental issues. The movement is globally coordinated by the Earth Day Network (EDN).

From tackling global warming issues to greening schools and hosting town hall discussions on clean energy investment and green jobs, EDN has many projects on roll. Among the many successful campaigns, the movement’s 40^th anniversary made quite a splash. In 2010, EDN brought “225,000 people to the National Mall for a Climate Rally, amassed 40 million environmental service actions toward its 2012 goal of A Billion Acts of Green®, launched an international, 1-million tree planting initiative with Avatar director James Cameron and tripled its online base to over 900,000 community members”.

Saving a thought for the environment becomes even more important today when the effects of the deteriorating environment are highly visible. The increasing number and severity of extreme weather events – record-breaking high or low temperatures, more frequent wildfires, increasing drought or high rainfall events – can be scientifically related to climate change and global warming. While the issue leaves room for much debate, experts agree that global warming is real and is triggered by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels that pump carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes more than 1,300 scientists from the United States and other countries, forecasts a temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century, as NASA reports. During the 20th century, the Earth’s average temperature has increased about 1 degree Fahrenheit. And although one degree may sound like a small amount, that’s actually highly impactful considering our planet’s history. As a matter of fact, small changes in temperature correspond to grand changes in the environment. To exemplify, NASA points out that at the end of the last ice age, when the Northeast United States was covered by more than 3,000 feet of ice, average temperatures were only 5 to 9 degrees cooler than today.

As dependable members of our society, property managers and landlords can play an important role in protecting the environment and turning our homes into healthy spaces. We’ve collected a few tips to help you and your communities celebrate Earth Day every day, and be good stewards of the environment.

• Be proactive. Sponsor or get involved in a clean-up, improvement or neighborhood beautification project. More than supporting an idea, you’ll be actively participating in the creation of a sustainable community. Additionally, your green efforts will give you leverage over the competition when attempting to retain or attract residents.

• Going green starts with you. Organize community events focused on key environmental issues, talk about what has been achieved so far and what you as a community can further do to foster sustainable behavior and attitudes. Whether you host an eco-swap, tree planting activity or community picnic, make sure you print party invitations on 100 percent recycled paper, buy local food and goods, serve fair trade coffee and stock up on organic cupcakes. You could also host an Earth Day 5K (or 1K). Because what better way to enjoy the planet than getting out and engaging in healthy physical exercise?

• Get social. Use social media to raise awareness and keep your residents informed on how they can lower their carbon footprint. Simple actions such as walking more or taking public transportation instead of driving to work every day, purchasing local or organic products, eCycling, re-purposing items before thinking of throwing them away, upholstering furniture, or using reusable shopping bags, can make all the difference in terms of sustainable lifestyles.

• Spread the word. After implementing green practices within your community, encourage residents to seek further information and attend other Earth Day celebratory events. Click here to find locations and activities in your area.

• Take the green initiative to a whole new level. Partner with local government, environmental or preservationist groups to organize projects that clean up the community, protect wildlife or raise awareness among citizens.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate Earth Day, Earth Month or Earth Year – how will you take part this year?