PAWS Academy: Respect for Animals for Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary
April 22, 2020
Written by Madi Cook, PAWS Education Intern
PAWS Academy Celebrates Earth Day!
Welcome our Earth Day special! Today marks the 50th Earth Day since its introduction in 1970. Concern over how humans were treating the Earth helped fuel the origin of this important holiday. We can help all animals, including humans, by considering the environmental impacts of our actions.
How We Impact the Earth
Our everyday choices all have consequences and outcomes that reach farther and affect more than we typically realize. When it comes to the Earth, most things we do come at a cost. The food we eat, the clothing we wear, the devices we use, all require resources to produce and all go somewhere when we are done with them. Consumerism is a huge concern when it comes to the safety of the Earth and its inhabitants. Our society is built to reward consumption of goods and services. A prime example is the social pressure around owning the newest model of cellphone and the economic incentive for businesses to make new models so frequently. On a broader scale, deforestation for agriculture and livestock fields, the artificial fertilizer runoff that leads to ocean acidification and the burning of fossil fuels are a few examples.
How We Impact Animals
The way we treat the Earth is directly related to the lives of animals. Deforestation leads to the loss of habitat for many animals and threatens the survivability of the most sensitive. The plastic we throw out ends up in the ocean which hurts and kills marine animals. The noise pollution from cities disrupts communication in animals like birds. Air pollution can even impact the health of your pets at home. With this perspective, a responsible pet owner requires taking into account the health and wellbeing of the environment.
For Earth Day in 1990, people were already advocating for a change to energy-saving florescent bulbs from incandescent bulbs. Lightbulb graphic credit: National Wildlife Federation, 1990.
All animals have feelings, they just don’t communicate them in the same way we do. To understand them we must be compassionate and take the time to observe their behavior. Through this we can appreciate all the differences in expression and communication. Different animals are good at different things which is part of the reason why they are all valuable by serving a vital role and supporting each other in their ecosystem.
What You Can Do
The good news is the amount of ways you can help give back to the Earth are endless and the need to take care of the Earth is constantly growing. Here are a few suggestions:
- To understand your individual impact on climate change, check out a carbon footprint calculator online.
- Adjust aspects of your lifestyle to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Research restoration activities in your area and find out how to get involved.
- Learn about an endangered species and how you can help.
- Eliminate single-use plastic from your life.
- Keep track of the amount of waste you produce in a week and try to live waste free for at least a week.
- Participate in this week’s activity!
Similar to today, in 1990, they were also advocating for taking shorter showers with water-saving showerheads. Shower graphic credit: National Wildlife Federation, 1990.
This Week’s Activity
Help our planet by playing Earth Day Bingo! Complete a line of tasks of your choice to complete the activity and complete as many tasks as possible to help the Earth. You can find it here.
The grapevine message still applies today, tell someone you know how to help take care of the Earth. Grapevine graphic credit: National Wildlife Federation, 1990.
You Matter
It may seem like your individual practices surmount to nothing considering how many people are on Earth, but it is that mindset which prevents us from making change. It can be astonishing how much one person can do. We are all connected, some more distantly than others, which means that sharing your passion for the Earth and animals could reach thousands.
Just like pets depend on us we all depend on the Earth to live. When you take care of the Earth you are taking care of yourself and all the other living creatures you share this home with.
This Week’s Challenge
This week, we challenge you to complete the Outdoor Sketching Scavenger Hunt in your neighborhood to appreciate the Earth. Activities like drawing a bird, something in the sky or something that is moving are a few examples of what the Outdoor Sketching Scavenger Hunt entails.
Join Us In Our Celebration!
We want to see your completed Outdoor Sketching Scavenger Hunt. Please share it by commenting a picture or video on this week’s episode at paws.org/PAWSAcademy!
If you missed last week’s episode click here to check it out and learn about how you can keep your pet safe. Tune in next Wednesday at 12 p.m. PT for the fifth PAWS Academy video and blog post about how to pet a cat and continue to find out how you can make a difference in animals’ lives!
Learn more at paws.org/PAWSAcademy. If you have any questions or suggestions you can reach us at [email protected].