Every April 22nd we celebrate Earth Day, but how did Earth Day start? Let’s find out!
- In the decades leading up to the first Earth Day, Americans were consuming vast amounts of leaded gas through massive and inefficient automobiles. There was no Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act.
- In the spring of 1970 Senator Gaylord Nelson, the junior senator from Wisconsin, announced the idea for a teach-in on college campuses to the national media. He recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to organize the campus teach-ins and they chose April 22, a weekday falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, to maximize student participation. Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans to take to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development.
- Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, and business and labor leaders. By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first of their kind environmental laws.
- Today, Earth Day is widely recognized as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes.
Learn more at earthday.org/history
There are many ways we can celebrate Earth Day. From planting trees to powering off your electronics when not in use, Earth Day is about taking time from our schedules to make the world a better place for us all.
With that in mind, here are a few of Plant Therapy’s favorite Earth Day Inspired DIYs!
There is nothing worse than seeing weeds usurp your garden! Fortunately, you can ditch your chemical cleaner for this fantastic Weed Killer DIY. The only items required are Clove Bud, vinegar, and salt. Fill a spray bottle with 20 oz of vinegar (two and a half cups) and add 20 drops of Clove Bud with a pinch of salt. Simply shake the bottle and spray directly onto those pesky weeds.
Essential oils are a wonderful tool to help deter outdoor pests and annoyances from invading your garden. For this DIY you will need a 4-ounce spray bottle, 4 ounces of vodka or water/witch hazel with an added preservative, and 18 drops of Citronella, Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Lavender. Finally, combine all the ingredients in your spray bottle and spray wherever needed.
Upcycling is a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day! Take your almost empty essential oils and remove the white orifice reducer. Pro tip: a butter knife or our Leaf Tool can do the trick! Then fill the bottle most of the way up with Fractionated Coconut Oil, add a splash of Vodka, and stir the liquids together. Add the Reed Sticks now or put the cap back on the bottle and give it as a gift.
Any small act can truly have an impact on our environment.
Plant Therapy encourages you to celebrate in any way you can! We recommend reaching out to your local Parks and Recreation for events you can participate in.
