Daniel Salzler No. 1198
EnviroInsight.org Four Items April 21, 2023
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Check our website at EnviroInsight.org
- Celebrate Earth Day In Your Own Special Way. This Friday, April 22, 2023, those with a consciously of good for the planet, will celebrate Earth Day for the 53rd year.
The first Earth Day celebration took place on April 22, 1970. In New York City, some 250,000 people flooded Fifth Avenue.
Prior to 1970 there was no EPA, no Clean Air Act, no Clean Water Act. They were no legal and regulatory mechanisms to protect our environment. In December of 1970, Congress authorize the creation of a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues – the Environmental Protection Agency.
53 years later, there are a lot of different things any and all of us can do to better the environment. Buy/use any of the following:
Transportation: Electric cars and trucks; Gas/electric (hybrid) cars and trucks; Electric scooters, Electric and/or natural gas buses; rail transportation; bicycle; electric bicycle, carpooling; walking
Laundry*: Earth Breeze laundry sheets, ecos roots laundry strips; dropps laundry pods; pur home liquid detergent; clean cult liquid detergent; blue land laundry tablets; tru earth laundry strips; biokleen laundry powder and liquid detergent; grove collaborative liquid detergent (plant- based ingredients, refill program, carbon offset for each shipment); seventh generations liquid detergent; ecos liquid detergent, strips and pods; cover liquid detergent.
*If your laundry detergent has any of the following ingredients, switch to something safer to you and the planet:phosphates: When these enter waterways they cause eutrophication, mineral poisoning that causes high die-off of marine animals.
- formaldehyde: This can increase your risk of cancer, and the EPA calls it a class B1 probable carcinogen that causes acute toxicity when it comes in contact with skin.
- dyes: These don’t add any cleaning power and are often a culprit of allergies and rashes – many are proven carcinogens and almost all are endocrine disruptors too.
- chlorine bleach: A lung and skin irritant that can cause blindness, burning of the eyes, respiratory failure and fluid in the lungs.
- sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate: These can inflame skin, eyes and lungs.
- optical brighteners/ uv brighteners: These are eye, skin and lung irritants that are toxic to aquatic life, may spontaneously combust, and cannot be in the presence of static electricity (such as that from the clothes dryer).
- fragrance: Artificial fragrances can cause allergic reactions, chemical sensitivities, and even rashes.
- ammonium sulfate: This is a laundry additive is so toxic the requirements for use are to never allow the chemical or its empty containers to reach drains or waterways, all while being classified as a category 3 oral, respiratory and skin toxin.
- dioxane: Its liquid and fumes can spontaneously combust, it’s a known carcinogen, and it causes skin, eye and lung inflammation.
- nonylphenol ethoxylate: Leads to extreme aquatic toxicity. Prolonged exposure may cause cancer and reproductive disorders, in addition to damaging the eyes and skin.
- dichlorobenzene: This has an immediate, highly toxic effect on aquatic life that can continue poisoning waterways for years down the line. Can also irritate the nose and throat causing coughing and wheezing, along with headaches, dizziness and even vomiting.
- benzyl acetate: When inhaled or spilled on the skin, it’s harmful and attacks the nervous system as well as the kidneys.
- ammonium quaternary sanitizers: This ‘cleaning additive’ is known to be corrosive and can cause eye, lung and skin damage.
Cleaning Products: Grove Collaborative organic and natural; Thrive Market; Rosey Tub & Tile Cleaner; Bluelnd; Piracy; Common Good; Ecos; Branch Basics; Eco-Me.
Home Water Purification: Hydroviv Under Sink Water filter removes: arsenic, lead, chromium 6, volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), PCBs, MTBE, mercury, cysts, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, petroleum-based chemicals,
chlorine, chloramine, disinfection byproducts, PFOA, PFOS, PFAS and many, many more; Multi-Pure Water
Filter; Body Glove Water Filter System.
2. Things You Can Do On Earth Day Or Earth Week To Contribute To A Healthier Planet.
a. Use the internet instead of paper to convey a message to someone
b. Use your cell phone to talk to someone instead of traveling to meet them one-to-one
c. Work from home instead of from your office.
d. Make three meals for you/your family that produces zero waste and uses minimal energy.
e. Calculate your foodprint (https://www.earthday.org/foodprints-calculators/)
f. Car pool or take a bus if you have to go somewhere
g. Fight Climate change with a diet change (https://www.earthday.org/eatmoreplants/)
h. Educate someone (s) about climate change and environmental literacy coupled with a strong civic education ( reduce, recycle, reuse/
hotter summers/ older, wetter winters)
i. Tell others what you do to celebrate Earth Day on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.
j. Eliminate palm trees and replace with shade producing trees that require little water
(#:~:text=Evergreen%20trees% nE2%80%94like%20cedars%2C% 20oaks, from%20damaging%20houses%20and%20yards.
k. Take a walk or a run with a bag and pick up trash as you go.
l. Become an active Citizen Scientist. ie. Report on the number and health of bees or specific birds in your area. Report to
https://globalearthchallenge.earthday.org/
m. Calculate your Carbon Footprint and then start working on reducing it.
n. Calculate your plastic consumption. ie. Consumed today
Consumed this month
Consumed this year….and then work to reduce
The goal is to consume less daily, monthly, annually.
o. Identify any soil loss on your property or on the way to a destination and do what you can to reduce or eliminate the erosion. (Via water or wind)
p. Grow your own food. Irrigate it with a soaker hose to conserve water. See EnviroInsight.org “Growing Your Own Food In The Sonoran
Desert”
q. If you cannot participate in “k” above, join a group to clean up an area.
r. Contact (call and/or write) your town, city, state and national representative and let them know you support and want them to
support your/their constituents’ needs first. Tell them your needs includes the health of people and the planet should be the top
priority.
s. Choose or look into Green Power. Check into solar panels or at the least, replace all of your house lights with LED’s
t. Use Reusable Fabric Bags instead of Plastic Bags
u. Be sure to recycle any plastic water bottle found on the street.
v. Compost your kitchen or yard wastes
w. Use reusable utensils (not plastic disposable). If need to, use one-time use wooden utensils
x. Eat mainly plant-based foods
y. Switch to on-line billing instead of paper billing
aa. Use “safe” herbicides and pesticides (Safer products, Natria or Sunday Weed Warrior, etc.)
bb. Buy organic foods
cc. Buy and store goods in glass containers, not plastic containers
dd. Carry/use BPA-free re-usable water bottle not a one-time use plastic bottle
ee. Turn off the lights in your house when you leave a room.
ff. Take pictures of polluters, submit to news organizations or neighborhood Apps
gg. Make purchases of items with the least amount of wrapping or bags
hh. Make purchases with recycling in mind
ii. If you use plastic grocery bags, find uses for them after unloading groceries, or recycle bags at your grocery store.
3. Earth Day Happenings Around Arizona. It is difficult if not impossible to report on all of the Earth Day Events in and around Arizona, but here are a few:
AZ State Parks
Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Make a Native Seed Ball April 22, 2023
Join us in the Quail Amphitheater at 2 p.m. to create a seed ball with native wildflowers. At home, plant the seed ball and nature decide when it’s best for the ball to disintegrate and the seeds to germinate and grow. Help our pollinators and local ecosystem by planting these native plants.
No additional cost to participate; park entry fee still applies.
Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival
April 27-30, 2023
Appreciate and learn about the area’s birds and wildlife during this popular annual festival! The 2022 festival theme is “Nature’s Clean-up Crew” and the featured bird is the turkey vulture. Workshop and presentations include Verde River Ecology, Birding Basics, Wild Plants, Backyard Birding in Northern Arizona, Mammals of the Verde Valley, Bird Call Quizzes, will be offered…and much more.
Red Rock State Park
Earth Day Celebration April 22, 2023
Red Rock’s annual Earth Day celebration amid Sedona’s famed red rock escarpments is always a hit…Join us at the park from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on April 22! The live reptile and raptor presentations are always very popular, and there are plenty of other games, booths, nature hikes, and outdoor beauty for the whole family to enjoy!
Lyman Lake State Park
Earth Day Celebration April 20, 2023
Come celebrate Earth Day with us at Lyman lake State Park!
During this fee-free event, families and local schools are invited to join us for arts, crafts, and other activities to teach kids about the importance of keeping the planet clean.
Meet at the Day Use Area at 10 a.m.
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Earth Day Celebration! April 22, 2023
Join us at Kartchner Caverns in Benson, AZ for a full day (9 am-3 pm) of family-friendly outdoor fun while celebrating Earth Day at this preservation-themed event! Explore the park on your own or join in on the interpretive talks or guided nature hikes throughout the day. Vendors will be on hand with snacks and activities all day to accentuate your Earth Day experience. From 1 pm-9 pm, join us at one of our popular Star Parties and learn more than you can imagine about the night sky!
Lost Dutchman State Park
Earth Day Celebration
April 22, 2023
Choose your own adventure on the trails! Learn more about the park on a hiking tour with Lost Dutchman’s geocache program, or download the iNaturalist app to learn about flora and fauna throughout the park! Each on just needs a smartphone and a dash of curiosity about our awesome desert!
Oracle State Park
Earth Day and Dark Sky Event April 22, 2023
Visit this 4000-acre wildlife refuge for an entire day of tours and events that will keep you and the family busy and engaged in the celebration. Live music, workshops, guided hikes and tours, delicious food, and good conversations with great people! Finish up a great day by celebrating the 8th anniversary of Oracle State Park’s designation as an International Dark Sky Park. Telescopes will be available for night sky viewing after sunset on the Kannally Ranch House patio.
City of Phoenix
Heritage Square Park
115 N 6th St
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Price: Free
Time: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Join Green Living Magazine, the City of Phoenix on Saturday, April 22 as we celebrate Earth Day.
Extravaganza to support our ongoing efforts to spotlight the impact of climate disasters and help our event-goers learn what actions they can take to minimize the effects.
It’s our favorite day of the year, a time to honor the work our community performs year-round to protect and restore the places that make Arizona such a spectacular place to live. It’s also an opportunity to show the types of personal actions we can all take – both big and small – to practice environmental stewardship for the people, wildlife, water, parks, trails, and natural lands of our region.
The annual Earth Day Celebration will have a host of eco-conscious exhibitors, sponsors, and entertainers that will educate, empower, and inspire our loyal readers and attendees about protecting our planet. And restoring the natural environment that connects us all.
Some of the fun activities that will take place:
Live Music
Gardening
Yoga
5 Animal Qigong
Cooking demos Electric cars
Tug-of-war contest
Native American hoop dancing
Dancing
Native American flute performances
Karate
Drumming circles
Interactive vendor booths
Kids eco-fashion show @ 12 PM
And, so much more!
City of Flagstaff
The City of Flagstaff Sustainability Office invites you to celebrate Earth Day with us on Saturday, April 22nd at Bushmaster Park from 11am-2pm. Check out the rest of this page for more details about volunteer service opportunities, free workshops, bands, and more.
Volunteer Service Projects
Kick-off Earth Day 2023 by giving back to the Earth and the community by volunteering for one of two different opportunities!
Both start at 9 am, one at Bushmaster Park and the other at the Flagstaff Police Department, and all volunteers will receive a light FREE BREAKFAST and be entered into a prize drawing for tickets to the Coconino County Fair and other great prizes!
Community Clean Up
Celebrate this beautiful place by giving back! This community litter clean-up will focus on the neighborhoods surrounding Bushmaster Park, to show our gratitude for our community members. Arrive by 8:45 am to sign-in, enjoy a free light breakfast, and have an opportunity to be entered into a prize drawing!
Drop-off Day
Help community members put their waste in the right place! The next Drop-off Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 22nd, 2023, from 9am-Noon with prescription drop-off extended until 2pm. Learn more by visiting the Drop Off Day webpage.
Please register today by visiting the Community Service Sign-Up webpage
Copyright: EnviroIsight.org 2023
