Consider this your call to action to get your hands dirty in protecting the environment. We can set  our actionable goals and envision sustainable steps forward in our climate conscious lives. 

We all do our best to support the protection of our environment and our community by building more ethical and sustainable habits into our everyday lives. Sadly, without enough momentum, many of the giants we fight stay strong in their nasty habits and disingenuous corporate promises to reduce environmental impacts. As Denis Hayes, Earth Day Founder, put it “Despite that amazing success and decades of environmental progress, we find ourselves facing an even more dire, almost existential, set of global environmental challenges, from loss of biodiversity to climate change to plastic pollution, that call for action at all levels of government.” 

How do we get involved on Earth Day and every day? 

Switch to reusables, think about one of the plastic items you frequently toss in the trash and find the reusable alternative. Do you already carry a reusable straw or utensil set?

Organize  in We can't solve the climate crisis by ourselves. This is why it is important to be active by joining a local climate group, attend a march, or protest. Another great way to organize is a beach cleanup on your own or through the Save Our Shores Marine Debris app

Listen to planet-wise podcasts like “How to Save the Planet” with journalist Alex Blumberg and scientist and policy nerd Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson.

Choose bike or foot over car where possible. Every time you make this choice, you reduce your carbon footprint.

Read a revolutionary environmental book from the Ethos Lending Library, Santa Cruz Library or your local bookstore. Some of our favorites are Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer, Sage Magazine, Plastic Free, and Zero Waste Home.

Recognize Recognize whose land you’re on and that the zero-waste movement isn’t new nor innovative. It’s been practiced by Black, Indigenous and People of Color for centuries. Visit native-land.ca to find out whose land you live, work and play on. Ethos is located on Amah Mutsun Tribal Land. Learn how the climate crisis disproportionately affects marginalized people and areas. Check out the Intersectional Environmentalist Learning Hub to grasp the immense number of ways social justice and environmentalism intersect.

Vote One of the most effective ways to make lasting change is by making sure that your representative at the municipal, state and federal level are serious about environmental issues. And vote with your dollar by choosing businesses that stand for more than profit. How? One simple way is to choose businesses that are Certified B Corps or 1% for the Planet members...like us!

Follow climate-justice voices in the environmental movement on social media. Here are some of our favorite environmental educators:  @ayanaeliza, @intersectionalenvironmentalist, @climatediva, @greengirlleah, @queerbrownvegan, @energy_justice

Watch an interesting and educational documentary like “A Plastic Ocean”, “Blue The Film” and “The Story of Stuff,” “Unbreathable- The Fight For Healthy Air” or sit down with a family friendly film with environmental themes like, “Princess Mononoke.

Donate If you can't donate your time, consider donating your money to environmental organizations that resonate with you. Like Plastic Pollution Coalition to help work toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, waterways, the ocean and the environment.

Remember, you vote with your wallets, and the choices you make for yourself with  friends and family affect the way they see the world. Join us in finding ways big and small to make a positive impact. Go forth sweet climate caretakers and live out your ethos!