By Meredith Ayan, Executive Director
Here at SPCA International, we’re celebrating Earth Day this April 22nd, and we hope you are too. Granted, we aren’t throwing a big bash, but we’re taking a few minutes to recognize the importance of caring for the environment.
Keeping our planet healthy and sustainable is intrinsically linked to animal welfare. Conserving forests and grasslands keeps natural habitats intact. Removing plastics from oceans and rivers provides cleaner water for animals at all levels of the food chain. Reducing emissions keeps the air pure for all of us.
We remember that each day, every single person can take small steps to mitigate climate change and care for Planet Earth. Here are a few simple ideas to give the environment a symbolic hug:
- Use reusable grocery bags and keep plastic bags out of landfills and waterways
- Walk, bike or carpool to drive less and reduce air pollution
- Recycle paper, metal, batteries and everything else that you can
- Buy sustainable foods and products, more companies are sharing this information
- Eat less meat to reduce the byproducts of meat processing
- Use a reusable water bottle and coffee mug to reduce single use cups and bottles
- Turn out the lights when you don’t need them to save energy
- Turn off the water when you don’t need it, like when you’re brushing your teeth
- Print less paper at home and work to save more trees
With all of us taking a few simple steps like these, we can make a huge collective impact on our planet.